Ventura County Officials Unanimously Approve Plan For Accelerated Reopening
VENTURA (CBSLA) — Matthew Bryant said he could not wait to dine inside restaurants again as he ate his lunch inside his car Tuesday in Moorpark.
"I just sat here in the shade and had my lunch," he said.
And his wish to eat out might happen sooner rather than later as the Ventura County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a plan that would allow them to lift restrictions at an accelerated pace if approved by the state.
"This could move very rapidly," Dr. Robert Levin, the county's public health officer, said.
According to Levin, people could soon be dining inside restaurants, shopping inside stores and even considering a return to the classroom in the fall.
"It would be modified," he said. "So, perhaps, one approach might be kids would be in the class on Mondays and Wednesdays, and then another group would be in the class on Tuesdays and Thursdays."
Levin said the county has met the state's standards — such as reducing hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and increasing testing — to move forward in the reopening process.
"We have an enemy in our presence," he said. "And we need to balance our movement forward with making sure that we're controlling that enemy."
The county currently operates two drive-thru testing sites offering free testing by appointment only.
- Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard;
- Thousand Oaks Library - Newbury Park Branch, 2332 Borchard Road, Newbury Park
And starting Wednesday, free drive-thru testing will be offered at three sites throughout the county. Appointments are not required for the following locations that will operate Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura;
- Moorpark College, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark;
- 128 S. Hallock Drive, Santa Paula
As of Tuesday evening, Ventura County had reported 837 cases and 28 virus-related deaths, an increase of 12 cases and three deaths since Monday.
