What Lifting the Home Order Means for Ventura County Businesses

VENTURA, Calif .– Ventura County public health officials have said they agree to lift the regional stay-at-home order – even with the record number of intensive care unit patients this week last.

On Monday, restaurateurs in Ventura County were set to reopen outdoor dining rooms, but the weather was not cooperating.

“It was difficult,” said Jan Holguin, owner of the Casa Bella steakhouse in Ventura. “He’s been ruined four times. We had to replace all the plastic walls that protect it from the elements and everything on top blew up. It took us a whole day to get him back to where he was.

Ventura County is now returning to the color-coded state reopening plan, especially at the more restrictive purple level. In this level, restaurants, gymnasiums, and wineries can reopen to the outdoors again.

“Believe me, we are very grateful, and we are very excited to open, but it was a little confusing because one minute it was about the cases, and one minute, the care beds. intensive, ”said Holguin. “What is it? You know, it’s disturbing that we’ve been closed for seven weeks and that there hasn’t been a consistent theme.

Ventura County last week reported a record 91 intensive care patients, but state projections show capacity is increasing in the Southern California area.

“We discussed this with our health official,” said Rigo Vargas, public health director for Ventura County. “We have determined that our numbers are moving in the right direction. Our case rate, while still high, is on a downward trend and so we know there are many more businesses suffering and we need good news locally and therefore we wanted to be in sync with the state as well.

However, if the cases increase, the stay-at-home order will return.

“By the time we’re expected to get herd immunity with vaccinations, it’s months from now,” Vargas said. “A power surge can happen at any time, and so while we’re all tired of knowing what to do about COVID, we really can’t let our guard down.

Despite the weather, restaurateurs are delighted to return to some sort of normalcy.

“We’re going to open tonight, and tomorrow it’s supposed to be nice, so we’re going to open tomorrow, and then Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, we’re going to play by ear and see,” Holguin said. “We will find a way.”