COVID vaccines arriving but virus spread increases in Santa Barbara County
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Santa Barbara County health officials are reporting a steep surge in positive COVID-19 cases as the first batch of the long-awaited coronavirus vaccine arrives.
On Monday, 360 cases were reported followed by 207 new cases on Tuesday. Monday's case total is the highest single-day increase since cases began being tracked back in Spring.
Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso says the rise in cases is directly connected to gatherings during Thanksgiving week.
"This surge in cases falls just over two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday," she said. "It is directly related to the gathering of family and friends as we had predicted."