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Dear Patients,

While a typical July 4th weekend has healthcare providers worrying about things like people being safe in the water, in the sun or behind the wheel of a car, at this time we are focused on keeping you and our community informed about COVID-19 in an effort to limit the spread of infection. 

This week our message will be short, but we are sending it because we think it is important to share some new facts about the concerning increase in cases in our community.  The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported the greatest number of new cases yesterday – 96 new cases reported on Monday: 48 in Santa Maria, 29 in the south county and Goleta and the remainder scattered throughout the county. 

The graph below is a current version of the one we sent last week depicting all of the weekly testing that is done through our Urgent Care and COVID-19 car-based testing.  The graph below is generated every Monday based upon the prior week’s results.  As you can see, the number that were positive is indicated in red at the top of the blue bars, and the percentage of positive tests is shown with the orange line.  The orange trend line indicates that the percentage of positive cases continues to increasing significantly week over week.  The numbers show that the increase is not just because more patients are being tested.  More patients are being tested, and of those, more patients are testing positive.  We had 5% of tests positive the week ending June 21st and 9.34% of tests positive the week ending June 28th.  In the last three weeks, the rate of positives has nearly doubled week by week. 
This increased community spread is particularly concerning as the long Fourth of July weekend is approaching. While the surge has prompted Governor Gavin Newsom and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to roll back some of the reopening, including closure of bars in Santa Barbara County, we want to once again stress the importance of adhering to safety precautions:
  • Avoid large social gatherings
  • Wear a mask whenever you are within six feet of anyone outside your own household
  • Maintain social distancing
  • Continue to wash hands frequently especially when touching surfaces
  • Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes
If you come to Sansum Clinic for care, please know that a mask is required throughout the duration of your visit, including in public areas, exam rooms and bathrooms.  Wearing masks in particular decreases the chance of transmission. 

Your health matters to us.  Please stay safe – with a mask and social distancing – this July 4th weekend! 

We are here for you – and we are smiling under our masks.

Sincerely,

Kurt N. Ransohoff, MD, FACP
CEO and Chief Medical Officer






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Sansum Clinic · PO BOX 1200 · Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1200 · USA