Covid-19 Update: Delta Variant and Masking
According to the Public Health Department, there have been 120 new COVID-19 cases reported over the last week. Why would cases be going up with people vaccinated? The new Delta variant.
“The Delta variant has become the most common cause of current COVID-19 cases worldwide, and is now the most common cause in California and the United States.”
However, there is a silver lining. Public health officials say all three available COVID-19 vaccines offer “excellent protection” against infection, serious illness and death from the coronavirus, including the Delta strain.
So What Is The Delta Variant?
The Delta variant is known to be highly contagious and is the “most infectious” of any variant seen so far, according to Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons of Cottage Health. As of July 3, more than 51% of COVID-19 cases in the United States stemmed from the Delta variant. This variant is most likely to cause a surge of cases locally which we are already seeing. Again, the current vaccines offered in the United States are very good at providing protection against severe disease and hospitalizations. Unvaccinated people remain the most at risk for severe disease.
This means getting the vaccine is more important than ever.
Santa Barbara County Recommends Masking Indoors for Everyone
Santa Barbara County’s daily case rate is increasing because of the Delta variant. The County recommends that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places as an extra precautionary measure for those who are fully vaccinated and to ensure easy verification that all unvaccinated people are masked in those settings.
Again, fully vaccinated individuals are still protected against this variant but this adds a layer of protection for other unvaccinated people.
Stay Safe Santa Barbara!