By Jade Martinez-Pogue, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @MartinezPogue
January 22, 2021
| 6:53 p.m.
Santa Barbara County appears to have passed its explosive winter peak of COVID-19 case rates and testing positivity, Public Health officials said Friday at their weekly COVID briefing.
But they warned that the community should not become complacent, noting that the number of deaths remains high — including 11 announced on Friday.
“This is really encouraging news,” Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso said. “However, I do want to share that we are not out of the woods yet.”
Public Health data shows that case rates and testing positivity peaked in the county on Jan. 9, and have been trending downward since, Do-Reynoso said.