By Michael Hernandez
VENTURA—At Tuesday’s Ventura County Board of Supervisors it was announced that new regulations will be given to dine-in restaurants, shopping malls and swap meets and schools (with limitations) as the county moves into Accelerated Stage 2. However, still not permitted are nail salons, tattoo parlors, gyms, fitness salons, entertainment venues, indoor museums, and community centers. Also not mentioned at the meeting were when churches could open.
The Accelerated Stage 2 is because Ventura County has a:
- Negative three percent hospitalization rate in the past seven days (needs to be less than 5 percent increase); and
- Test rate of 3.5 percent of positivity for COVID-19 (must be less than 8 percent of those tested in the last 7 days;
- Achieved testing of 1,360 tests per day (which exceeds the required capacity of 1,280 tests per day).
The criteria for testing is any person with cough or shortness of breath, or the following symptoms: fever greater than 100.4, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell.
Four new testing sites will be opened by Wednesday and include: the Newbury Park Library (2331 Borchard Road; Ventura College (4667 Telegraph Road), Moorpark College (7075 Campus Road), and the Santa Paul Ford Dealership (128 S. Hallock Drive) testing from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. These testing sites join the nine existing testing sites (which include two state testing sites). The Ventura County testing sites are working with LGC, a Monrovia lab.
Currently, COVID-19 has claimed 29 lives; 825 individuals have tested positive with the highest number of cases in Oxnard (218); followed by Simi Valley (203); and Thousand Oaks (108). Some 17,045 individuals have been tested for the virus.
In regards to reopening: Ventura County businesses are being asked to register their business in vcemergency.com and then go to: vcreopening.com to see what is required to reopen as far as compliance to state and health orders. Currently, 2,386 businesses have registered with the Ventura County Resource Management Agency headed up by Kimberly Prillhart.
The eight steps for reopening include:
- Reviewing the guidance published by the State of California at: https://covid19.ca.gov/roadmap/.
- Complete a detailed risk assessment of your business in accordance with the state guidelines.
- Complete a written worksite COVID-19 Prevention Plan and post it at your business.
- Implement the prevention measures identified in your worksite-specific COVID-19 Prevention Plan.
- Designate an on-duty employee responsible for monitoring compliance with your plan.
- Complete the attestation form by going to: www.vcropen.com.
- Upon completing your attestation, an official from your local jurisdiction may conduct a site visit.
- The hotline number is 844 VC-OPENS which also needs to be posted.
Businesses wishing to reach the COVID Business Compliance call call: (805) 202-1805 or email: [email protected]. Ventura County has launched a Question and Answer Compliance & Enforcement Line for citizens to ask questions and report possible violations of the Ventura County’s Stay Well at Home Order.
The Economic Development Collaborative COVID-19 Business Resource Guide is updated daily for Employers, Employees, and Self-Employed.
The Board of Supervisors gave recognition to Ventura County Public Works especially in light of this week being designated 2020 National Public Works Week. Public Works provides infrastructure such as roads, sewers, water and waste water.
Michael Hernandez, Co-Founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service; editor of the History Makers Report and founder of History Makers International—a community nonprofit serving youth and families in Ventura County, is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. He worked 25 years as a middle school teacher in Monrovia and Los Angeles Unified School Districts. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted by email at [email protected].
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