Daily Archives: April 5, 2021

Your Shot to Vaccinate – Ages 16+ Now Eligible

Progress is being made with COVID-19 vaccinations in the County. We started with those 70+ years of age being the first to receive their vaccine, and now anyone 16+ years of age is eligible. There are so many reasons why it’s important to get vaccinated once you are eligible. Santa Barbara County Public Health estimates that if we can get our population vaccinated and keep our cases down, we could reach the beginning of our immunity level in July. There is also a concern over new variants of the virus which have the potential to cause another surge. These variants are present in our County, and with the vaccines proving effecting against these variants, it is another reason to get your vaccine as soon as you are eligible.

Santa Barbara County residents ages 16+ are now eligible to receive the vaccine at Public Health Vaccination-Clinics, with Additional Community Vaccination Sites opening eligibility to this group beginning April 15.

The following groups are also currently eligible to receive a vaccine from Public Health Department Vaccination Clinics AND Additional Community Vaccination Site (pharmacies, healthcare providers):

  • Community members 50+ years of age
  • Phase 1A health care workers
  • Education and childcare workers
  • Emergency service workers
  • Food and agriculture workers
  • 16-49 years old with serious underlying medical conditions 

Appointment links:

The best vaccine is the one available to you right now. Almost 200,000 vaccinations have been administered in Santa Barbara County and more than 50% of our population age 65 and older are fully vaccinated. 20% of our population age 16 and above are fully vaccinated. Thank you for helping to do your part to #reCOVERgoleta.

For more information go to https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/. Sign up for vaccine email updates from Santa Barbara County here.

The Public Health Department is in need of bilingual (English/Spanish) volunteers at their Vaccination Clinics throughout Santa Barbara County. If you are interested, please send an email to margaret.fitzwilliamfigueroa@sbcphd.org.

Pictured: Mayor Perotte getting her first COVID-19 vaccine shot

Public Invited to Virtual Integrated Regional Water Management Summit

You are invited to attend the May 5th, 2021, Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Summit on the topic of Watershed Health and People Experiencing Homelessness: Spotlight on the Central Coast and Ventura Counties, Statewide Impact. This virtual event brings together key elected leaders, agency leaders, professionals and practitioners in California and at the Federal level to discuss challenges, opportunities and successes around this important and complex topic.

Date: May 5, 2021
Time: 8:30am – 12:00pm
Register: http://rebrand.ly/IRWM-Water-Summit

We would like this to be interactive and are encouraging you to submit a question or two for our panelists and/or for general discussion. You may do this on the registration page where you can also view a list of panelists. A flyer is available here.

This event is being sponsored by the Santa Barbara County IRWM, Santa Cruz IRWM, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Pajaro River Watershed IRWM, City of Watsonville, County of Santa Barbara, Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County and the Local Government Commission. 

Give the Phone a “Break”: April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Goleta Police Department encourages drivers to give the phone a break and focus on the road.

Throughout the month of April the Goleta Police Department will have additional officers on patrol specifically looking for drivers who violate the state’s hands-free cell phone law.

“When you are driving, give the phone a rest,” Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, Senior Deputy Jeff Farmer said.  “A driver’s number one focus should be on the road. Anything that distracts you from the task of driving, especially a phone, puts yourself and others at risk.”

According to the 2020 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey, more than 75% of surveyed drivers listed “Distracted Driving because of TEXTING” as their biggest safety concern.

“Not driving distracted is a simple, but significant behavior change,” Senior Deputy Farmer said. “The goal is to increase compliance with the hands-free cell phone law and keep people safe.”

Under current law, drivers are not allowed to hold a phone or other electronic device while behind the wheel. Drivers under 18 are not allowed to use a phone for any reason, including hands-free.

If you need to make a call or send a text, pull over and park at a safe location. Drivers should silence their phones or put the phone out of reach, such as the glove box or trunk.

Funding for distracted driving enforcement operations are provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The City of Goleta contracts with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.