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109 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Santa Barbara Co.

Coronavirus-confirmed healthcare workers can return to work without being testing negative
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Santa Barbara County reported 109 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the county's total to 722 cases as of May 7.

Of the new cases, 102 are inmates at the federal prison in Lompoc.

On Thursday, the Federal Bureau of prisons reported a total of 599 inmates and staff at the facility have tested positive for the virus.

The increase comes after the prison began testing all of the inmates in the low-security unit of the complex this week.

Of the county's cases that are not prison inmates, 24 people are in the hospital, including 12 ICU patients. Fifty-one people are recovering at home and 360 people are recovered. Health officials say information on six additional patients is pending.

Santa Barbara County has had 10 deaths attributed to COVID-19, including two Lompoc prison inmates.

Two coronavirus testing sites are now open in Santa Barbara County -- at the Santa Maria Fairpark and the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. A third site is scheduled to open on Friday at the Anderson Recreation Center in Lompoc.

Appointments are required at all testing sites. To make an appointment, visit https://lhi.care/covidtesting or call 888-634-1123.

For more information on the county's COVID-19 response, visit publichealthsbc.org.