LVMC Community Update, February 19, 2021

This week our CEO updates the community on the status of the CCC, Covid vaccines, Covid Hospitalizations, and new Covid cases.

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

What happened on this date in history?

• 1878 – Thomas Edison was awarded a patent for his invention, the phonograph, the first device to both record sound and play it back.
• 1954 – The Ford T-Bird first appeared as a prototype, before selling began later in 1954, at a price of $2,900.
• 2008 – At age 81, Fidel Castro resigned from the Cuban presidency; his brother Raul was later named as his successor.

Comprehensive Care Center

• There continues to be no Covid positive residents or staff at the CCC.

Vaccine

• LVMC continues to administer second vaccine doses to those 75+ who received their first dose at LVMC. We have about 300 remaining to do. These will be done on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
• After completing the second doses described above, we will have approximately 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine remaining. Next Wednesday, February 24, we will administer those as first doses for individuals 75 and older. Those 100 individuals will be taken from our vaccine waiting list, and they will be called to schedule an appointment.
• In addition to the vaccine availability described above, next week LVMC is being allocated 1,170 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Normally, we would receive the vaccine on Tuesday. However, we are told that because of weather issues, shipments may be delayed, and we might not receive the vaccine until later in the week.
• We will first use the 1,170 doses to provide first doses to the remaining individuals 75+ on our waiting list. Presently, there are about 850 such individuals. Then, we will use the remaining vaccine to provide first doses to those 65-74 years of age on our waiting list. Presently, there are about 545 such individuals. So, we will not be able to vaccinate everyone 65+ on the waiting list, but we will do as many as we can. We expect to begin administering these first doses on Thursday or Friday of next week, depending on when we receive the vaccine.
• All Lompoc Valley community members are welcome to place themselves on our waiting list, by calling (805) 875-8909 or emailing vaccine@lompocvmc.com. Please keep in mind that if you are age 65-74 and not already on the waiting list, we will not be able to offer you a vaccination appointment with the vaccine allocation we receive next week. If and when we receive another vaccine allocation, we will continue working down the waiting list.
• We are required by the State to use all allocated vaccines within seven days of receipt. We are not permitted to keep a portion of the vaccine in inventory for second doses. Therefore, we are relying on the State and County to make second dose allocations to us in a timely manner. I have received assurances from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department that if we have not been allocated vaccine for second doses, they would provide the second doses to those who received first doses at LVMC.
• Unless there are further changes (which is very possible), Santa Barbara County is slated to go live with the State/Blue Shield appointment scheduling website, myturn.ca.gov, on March 15. At that time, unless the State changes its plan, LVMC will no longer be a vaccination provider. The vaccinations for the Lompoc area will be done by the Public Health Department, pharmacies, and potentially others. We have indicated a willingness and desire to assist the Public Health Department any way we can to get community members vaccinated. Between now and March 15, we will continue doing our best to obtain the maximum amount of vaccine so we can vaccinate as many community members as possible before the switchover.
• For your information, according to County data, 3.3% of the population in North County have been vaccinated with both doses; 3.1% in South County; and 2.7% in Central County (Lompoc is in Central County).
• Anyone who has an urgent question about vaccinations may email me at popkins@lompocvmc.com. I will reply as soon as possible.

Covid Information

• Covid Hospitalizations. I am happy to report that the number of Covid positive inpatients at hospitals in Santa Barbara County continues to decrease and decrease at a greater rate than in past weeks. As of today, the total number of inpatients is 71, compared to 191 on January 8. That represents a 63% decrease over the six-week period. Of the current 71 patients, 23 are receiving ICU care. This compares favorably to the 58 patients receiving ICU care on January 8. Of the 71 inpatients in the County, 11 are at LVMC, with 5 receiving ICU care (4 of the 5 ICU patients were admitted before the Covid hospitalizations began declining in recent weeks).
• New Covid Cases. Like hospitalizations, new Covid cases in the County have declined at a good pace. For Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc combined, there were 425 new cases for the 7-day period ending February 18. Of those, 73 cases were from the Lompoc Valley. By comparison, the Lompoc Valley represents approximately 23% of the combined three city population, and 17% of the new Covid cases.
• Positivity Rate. Not to sound like a broken record, but the County Covid positivity rate has decreased, as well. County data shows the rate at 8.2%. This is still much higher than the overall California rate of 3.2%. California’s positivity rate is lower than 36 states and higher than 13 states. As I have mentioned before, Santa Barbara County typically lags California overall by a few weeks, both when Covid is on the way up, and on the way down. Hopefully, that will be true in this case, going forward.

Donations

• 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!! (Ones in bold are new since the last listing.)

Grocery Outlet; VICKIE & Tom Matthews; Girl Scout Troop 50201; Pickle & Peanuts Restaurants/McDonald’s; Santa Ynez Tribal Health Clinic; Wild West Pizza & Grill; George Stillman; Dr. Connie Chan; Vandenberg Village Lions; Direct Relief; Albertson’s Store #3171--and those individuals who participated with Albertson’s; Northrop Grumman; Southwest Carpenters Union; INTO THE AM CLOTHING LLC-Matt Marchione; 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.

Thank you for your continued support, and 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