Lompoc Valley Medical Center COVID-19 Community Update, May 29, 2020

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

Below, please find an update regarding the COVID-19 situation from the Lompoc Valley Medical Center perspective.

This has been a rather “slow news week” in regard to Covid-19 in the Lompoc Valley Community, but I will update you on a few items.

Wear a Mask Order.

On May 26, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer issued Order Number 2020-10, regarding the required use of face coverings. The order is seven pages and rather detailed. But, the gist of the order is, wear a mask in public. The Public Health Officer Order, which also includes information on how and where to obtain a mask if you cannot afford one, can be found on our website, lompocvmc.com

Lompoc COVID-19 Community Testing Site.

In last week’s community update, I said that if the Lompoc site continues to be underutilized, The County will relocate the site to a community that will likely have greater testing demand. Santa Barbara County just informed me that they will be moving the testing site to Solvang, effective June 5. Lompoc Valley residents may schedule testing appointments at any of the community testing sites, including the one that will soon be in Solvang.

COVID-19 Test Results in the Lompoc Valley Community.

Cases of COVID-19 in the Lompoc Valley Community have continued their recent downward trend. While in the “early days” of COVID-19, the Lompoc Valley experienced a higher incidence of COVID-19 positive test results than other areas of the County; now it is just the opposite. For this week (Tuesday through Thursday), Santa Barbara Public Health Department data shows that there were no new COVID-19 positive test results in the Lompoc Valley Community, and of the 105 total confirmed cases, 95 are shown as recovered.

Federal Correctional Complex (FCC).

The figures publicly reported by the Bureau of Prisons, for the combined FCI and USP facilities, show that of the 1,066 inmates who originally tested COVID-19 positive, 1,037 have recovered. Stated differently, 97.3% of inmates have thus far recovered from the virus. Regarding FCC staff, of the 42 who originally tested COVID-19 positive, 24 are shown as having recovered. A third inmate death was reported this week, however no further information has been released.

Resumption of Non-Emergent Surgeries and Procedures, Ancillary Services, and Clinic Services.

LVMC services are returning to normal. Our surgeries, clinic visits, and outpatient services are up to approximately 80% of their pre-COVID-19 levels. We would like to get back to the 100% level as soon as possible, and project that will happen over the next 1-2 months. We encourage community members to not put off needed medical care, whether it be emergency room services, surgery, physician visits, radiology procedures, or other services.

Thank You!

A huge thank you to the following businesses and individuals who have made donations of Personal Protective Equipment and supplies, food for our healthcare workers, and other acts of kindness. You are all very much appreciated!!

Kathy Milham; Kimberly Todd; Vons Market; Celeste Dugré; Subway; Sleep Center; Doreen Ross; Lompoc Pizza Hut; Superior Home Health; Miguelito Elementary School; Cajun Kitchen; La Purisima Mission Mask Makers; Advanced Performance Physical Therapy; SONOS; Pickle & Peanut Restaurants Inc.; Jordano’s; Lompoc Little Caesar’s Pizza; Victoria Perez; Diana Coronado; Firework Foundation; The Daily Grind; Industrial Eats; Vivid Financial Management; Christine Collier; David Carey DDS; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Sue McIntyre; McDonalds; Hilton Garden Inn; Anita Macias; a collaboration of 18 wineries--Alma Rosa, Ampelos, Chanin, Fiddlehead, Flying Goat, Garcia, Kings Carey, Kita, Longoria, Loring, Pali, Piedrasassi, Sandhi, Santa Barbara Winery, Sea Smoke, Sweetzer, Temperance and Transcendence; CoastHills Credit Union; CenCal Health; Dunn School; American Host; Kateri and Chris Kingsley; Katherine Milham; Sweet Bliss Sugar Scrubs and Co.; Carol Kirkland; Dr. Iris Radler; Donna Bommersbach; Patricia Henry; Nancy Manes; Annamie Lafferty; Marilyn Romine; Courtney & Mitch Barnham; Ida Kreds; Ingrid Kaper; Judy Carpenter; Space X; Lompoc Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Santa Barbara Foundation; Lompoc Hospital District Foundation; Lompoc Unified School District; Lompoc YMCA; Floriano’s Mexican Food; Circle K; Keller Williams Realty of Lompoc; Girl Scouts of Lompoc; Arbonne independent distributors; Orcutt Bakery; Northrop Grumman; L3Harris Technologies; Astrotech Corp.; Harbor Freight; Home Depot; Direct Relief; Heath Dental; CHC Dental; Mikowicz Dental; Kimberly Nails; Not Alone Plumbing; Artisan Uprising Winery/Azeo Distillery; Starbuck’s Store 496; Tom’s Burgers; Super Grill; Sign Gypsies Central Coast.

Our frontline healthcare workers, support staff, physicians, and allied health professionals have been doing an outstanding job, and we are very thankful and proud of them!! Thank you, Lompoc Valley Community, for your tremendous support of LVMC and our healthcare workers; it means a lot to all of us!!

As always, please feel free to contact me at popkins@lompocvmc.com or (805) 737-3301. Until next time, be well and stay safe!

Steve Popkin
Chief Executive Officer