This week, Santa Barbara County public health leaders announced that Santa Barbara County may be moving to the orange level within weeks. The county just turned the corner on the red level last week.
To enter the orange level, it takes about two to five cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people in the county, or four million vaccines administered in the state of California.
Dr. Henning Ansorg, Public Health Officer for Santa Barbara County, said on Friday: “[It] it is possible that two [to] in three weeks, we reach those limits and then the door is open to hopefully go to orange. “
Public health officials in Santa Barbara County say the federal government is sending more vaccines to local pharmacies, which will increase access to vaccines.
“The federal government is also sending doses that do not pass through the state system to pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid. [These pharmacies] I also offer vaccines and encourage people to call them or go to the website and check it out, because there are more vaccination opportunities that are becoming increasingly available, ”explained Dr. Ansorg.
Vaccines have an expiration date, so if people do not show up for appointments, pharmacies can offer extra doses to community members.
CVS says in a statement to KSBY:
We follow all CDC and manufacturer guidelines regarding the proper storage and administration of each COVID-19 vaccine to help ensure that the vaccine is not wasted. Our online scheduling tool also helps to ensure that appointments match the available vaccine supply. In the case of unused doses in our pharmacies, our pharmacy teams will assess how to more efficiently vaccinate eligible individuals with the remaining doses. This includes disclosing eligible patients in their communities, as our pharmacies maintain patient profiles with information that can help identify who is eligible to be vaccinated.
CVS
Santa Barbara County says that in order to prevent another outbreak of COVID, people must remain safe, especially during spring break and upcoming holidays.
San Luis Obispo County is also moving towards the orange level. The latest statistics show that the municipality’s positivity index already meets the requirements, however, the authorities have not informed when the change to orange may occur.
The orange layer allows for more reopening for business and recreation.
Click here to see what can be opened in the orange layer.