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While we know there is information coming from all over the place as a result of COVID-19, we wanted to share some important info with our Goleta community members that we received today from allied agencies.
News from San Luis Obispo County Joint Information Center:
County Issues Executive Order to Shelter at Home Starting Tomorrow
In partnership with all seven incorporated cities in San Luis Obispo County, County Emergency Services Director Wade Horton today issued an executive order for all people in San Luis Obispo County to shelter at home starting tomorrow.
The emergency order is effective Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 5 p.m. and will remain in effect until further notice. The intent of the order is to slow the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in San Luis Obispo County by ensuring that the maximum number of people self-quarantine in their places of residence to the maximum extent possible, while enabling essential services to continue. The executive order is in line with what other Counties are doing.
“The health and safety of our community is our top priority. The actions we take today will help us get back to normal as soon as possible,” Horton said. “We made this decision to preserve our health care system and ensure that we have the capacity to care for the sickest of the sick during this pandemic.”
Essential government functions will continue, and essential businesses are encouraged to remain open. All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or living unit are prohibited, except for limited purposes as expressed in the order. This order comes after the release of substantial guidance from the County Health Officer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the California Department of Public Health.
“We must act to aggressively contain the continued spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Horton said. “We need to slow down transmission of this disease, so our health care system has capacity to care for our community.”
The County Public Health Department is working closely with healthcare providers, hospitals, and community partners to address COVID-19.
For updates on COVID-19 in SLO County: Visit ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at (805) 788-2903. A staffed phone assistance center at (805) 543-2444 is available seven (7) days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for questions related to COVID-19.
Message from the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board:
Should you have any business-related question regarding COVID-19, please feel free to contact the County at covidbiz@countyofsb.org.
For affected workers due to the COVID-19 impact with their employers, please visit the California State Employment Development Department website at
www.edd.ca.gov/unemployment America's Job Center of California (AJCC) locations are closed due to the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions and are only seeing customers by appointment only.
News from California Public Utilities Commission:
CPUC has ordered energy, water, sewer, and communications companies under its jurisdiction to halt customer disconnections due to non-payment. This action is to protect people from being shut off from non-payment because they are unable to report to work due to illness, quarantine, or social distancing and applies retroactively to March 4, 2020 when Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency. Copies of letters sent to the utility companies and all other updates on matters concerning COVID-19 in CPUC's jurisdiction can be found by going to https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/covid/ For those of you in SCE's territory please note that all public forums connected with the company's rate request have been cancelled. Public comment can be submitted online at https://apps.cpuc.ca.gov/apex/f?p=401:65:0::NO:RP,57,RIR:P5_PROCEEDING_SELECT:A1908013
News from MTD:
Effective Thursday, March 19, 2020, Santa Barbara MTD will be lowering service levels on several lines associated with area educational institutions, in light of these schools ceasing campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally on Thursday, all MTD fixed-route bus service will be provided free of charge until further notice. Passengers without disabilities will be directed to use the rear door of the vehicle for boarding and alighting to minimize contact with bus operators at the front door and farebox area. Passengers using mobility devices or who need the ramp will be allowed to board and alight from the front door of the vehicle.
As described below, Transit Center Customer Service functions will be changing, as will public access to the MTD Administrative Offices.
Service Reduction
Earlier this week on Monday, March 16, 2020, all booster services to Junior Highs and High Schools were cancelled. This cancellation will continue until further notice.
Beginning the morning of Thursday, March 19, 2020, the following service changes will go into effect, until further notice:
No Line 15x (SBCC/UCSB Express) Service
No Line 16 (SBCC Shuttle) Service
No Line 28 (UCSB Shuttle) Service
Line 27 (Isla Vista Shuttle) will operate on the “UCSB out” alternate schedule as published in the schedule guide
No booster service to Junior Highs, High Schools, or Alpha Resource Center
This service level mimics the service level provided during Spring Break, when SBCC, UCSB, and Santa Barbara Unified School District are all closed.
UC Santa Barbara will still be accessible by bus on Lines 11, 24x, and 27. The Santa Barbara City College area will still be accessible by bus on Lines 4, 5, and 17.
Passengers with questions about schedules and affected routes can call (805) 963-3366 for assistance.
Transit Center Customer Service
Transit Center facilities will still be operating on normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 6am to 7pm, and weekends, 9am to 5pm), but no walk-up sales or person-to-person transactions of any kind will be available; however, the two Ticket Vending Machines at the Transit Center will still be operational and accept cash, debit and credit cards. The public may still ask questions through the window or call (805) 963-3366.
In addition to help over the phone, the public is encouraged to contact MTD with any questions or concerns via the sbmtd.gov website, by emailing info@sbmtd.gov, or through the agency’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts, all @santabarbaramtd.
MTD Administrative Offices
Additionally, effective March 19, 2020, MTD’s administrative office reception area at 550 Olive Street will be closed to visitors. Customers needing to make bulk pass purchases may do so upon appointment only. To arrange for a pass purchase during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm), please call (805) 963-3364.
The public is reminded to stay home if they are sick, follow proper health hygiene practices, and maintain appropriate social distance on buses, at the Transit Center, and at bus stops.
All of this information presented here and more can be found on our website at www.cityofgoleta.org
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