New coronavirus safety guidelines are now in effect on the Central and South Coasts. Indoor dining, gym workouts, going to a movie, and attending religious services indoors are now banned because of COVID-19 safety concerns.
The spike in cases in the region continued Wednesday, with 539 new cases reported.
365 were in Ventura County, while Santa Barbara County had 91 and San Luis Obispo County 79. The region's total zoomed past the 33,000 mark, to land at 33,116. Fortunately, no new deaths were reported with the three-county total at 340.
Ventura County officials admit they’re worried. Ventura County Public Health Director Dr. Rigoberto Vargas says they think the county's spike is being largely fueled by get-togethers.
But, Vargas says the good news is that the percentage of people tested who are positive is at the low end of the scale, at 4.5%. And, he says so far hospital capacity to handle a surge remains high. 54 people are currently in the county’s hospitals because of coronavirus, with 13 in intensive care.
County officials say people need to continue to step up and follow COVID-19 safety protocols.
