Legal analyst Lis Wiehl’s News-Press column debuts today For her first case, the author looks at water districts vs. Santa Barbara County. See her Wiehl of Justice column in Voices - C1
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A month without masking LA County reinstitutes mask mandate, Santa Barbara County sees Delta surge
Eating out Assembly bill proposes outdoor dining expansions By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
A new bill that would expand outdoor dining across California is making its way through the State Legislature. Earlier this week, Assembly Bill 61 received approval from the Senate Health Committee, getting the bill one step closer to the governor’s desk. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Woodland Hills, and co-authored by a group of 21 bipartisan lawmakers. The bill, if passed, would empower local jurisdictions and the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control to provide regulatory flexibility to aid the hard-hit restaurant industry. This regulatory flexibility Please see BILL on A5
SB’s Impact valued at $1.5B Company expects to go public next year
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
While vaccinated individuals are currently not required to wear masks or socially distance in Santa Barbara County, nearby Los Angeles County has issued a new masking mandate in response to an uptick in cases driven by the virulent Delta variant.
By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
By DAVE MASON
It’s been more than a month now since June 15, the day when most COVID-19 restrictions, such as masking and social distancing, were no longer required for vaccinated individuals. Since that day, the state has seen an uptick in cases associated with the contagious Delta variant, a strain of the disease labeled a “variant of concern” by the Centers for Disease Control due to its increased transmissibility. The Delta variant has caused a severe uptick in cases in Los Angeles County, so much so that the LA County Public Health Department issued a new masking mandate that goes into effect today. Under LA’s new mandate, all people, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask indoors. Since the June 15 reopening, LA County has seen case rates increase by seven times, according to a statement from the county’s Public Health Department. The Delta variant has quickly become the dominant variant in the county, with more than 71% of sequenced test samples showing evidence of the variant between June 27 and July 3. Throughout the pandemic, Santa Barbara County has historically lagged disease trends in Los Angeles County by just a few weeks. This is proving true even now as the county is seeing an uptick in case rates associated with the spread of the Delta variant. As of the end of June, 50% of specimens sequenced in the county show Please see COVID on A2
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One Santa Barbara company thrived during the pandemic, to the tune of a recent $1.5 billion valuation. The company is Impact, which helps businesses and their products and services online with software that partners them with publishers and influencers. It’s the internet age’s alternative to traditional advertising, and it’s apparently proving successful. “We’re still a private company, but we’re intending to likely go public next year,” CEO David Yovanno told the NewsPress about Impact’s plans to sell shares. “We think we’ve reached that level of maturity.” Mr. Yovanno explained that Impact recently raised $150 million to expand its platform. That set the stage for the interest by investors and the $1.5 billion valuation. Qatar Investment Authority invested enough money in Impact to become a minority shareholder with a seat on the company’s board, Mr. Yovanno said. He explained Providence Public also invested in the company, but not to the extent Please see IMPACT on A7
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