COVID-19 is probably infecting Santa Barbara County residents and has been for about a month, one health care official believes, but no one who has it has gotten sick enough to be diagnosed.

Dr. David Fisk, a specialist in infectious diseases with Sansum Clinic and director of infection prevention and control for Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, expressed that opinion in an update on the coronavirus outbreak delivered Tuesday to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors at their meeting in Santa Barbara.

Public Health Department Deputy Director Paige Batson and Dr. Henning Ansorg, county public health officer, ran through current statistics on the disease and explained how the county is helping the local medical community prepare.

During the discussion, 1st District Supervisor Das Williams said that in response to public concerns, he and Board Chairman and 2nd District Supervisor Gregg Hart had penned a letter to cruise lines and shipping companies asking that they not allow passengers to debark in Santa Barbara.

He said he expected the Santa Barbara City Council to authorize a similar letter Tuesday.

Fisk made his comment in response to 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann’s assertion that the reason health officials know COVID-19 is not in the county is that it hasn’t been spreading outward from here.

“My personal opinion is that it is in Santa Barbara County,” Fisk responded. “We just haven’t had someone sick enough with it to be tested and diagnosed. My suspicion is that it’s been here over a month.”