Santa Paula, CA – The City of Santa Paula is excited to be working with its County and State partners, as well as residents and local businesses, on reopening the local community and reestablishing a new normal. As restrictions continue to ease and new announcements are made each week, the following is meant to provide clarity on current guidelines and allowances, insight into what to expect in the near future, and reminders on healthy and safety practices.
The County of Ventura was the first and largest Southern California County to receive approval from the California Department of Public Health to move forward on an accelerated path to reopening. This means that as of today, June 12, the following businesses have been allowed to reopen with modifications: dine-in restaurants, retail and shopping, places of worship, hair salons and barbershops, construction, bars and wineries serving food, fitness centers and more. At this time, entertainment and leisure destinations, such as movie theaters and hotels, are not eligible to reopen in Ventura County. Both the County and City of Santa Paula have a number of online resources for businesses, including industry-specific COVID-19 Prevention Plan templates and a retail business protocols checklist.
“As more businesses start the process of reopening and gain a better understanding of their financial outlook, it is important to note that the County will also soon be accepting applications for a business assistance grant program beginning June 17,” said James Mason, Santa Paula Community and Economic Development Director. “This grant program is meant to help alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 by providing funds that can be put toward paying salaries, rent, buying personal protective gear and any other modifications required to make the business compliant with COVID-19 guidelines.”
The City of Santa Paula is also beginning to reopen in-person services, plan for public access to community facilities and schedule programs. The City’s utility billing counter will reopen on June 15 and staff will be available Monday through Friday from 9am to noon and 1pm to 3pm. While not required, residents who visit City Hall are highly encouraged to wear face coverings. City staff will also make every effort to abide by physical distancing guidelines and visitors will be expected to maintain a distance of six (6) feet from one another.
The City has also received clearance to host summer camps, though the group sizes will be much smaller than in previous years in order to accommodate County and State guidelines and help keep participants safe. Additionally, it is anticipated that local skate parks will be able to soon reopen as well, although playgrounds will remain closed as outlined in the Roadmap. State’s Resilience
As more people begin to venture out into the community and return back to work, the City highly encourages Santa Paula residents to continue following the Center for Disease Control and
Preventions (CDC’s) recommendations on practicing good hygiene and social distancing to reduce the spread of the virus and preserve the resources of the healthcare system. In addition to physical distancing and wearing face coverings, these recommendations include washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, and frequently cleaning and disinfecting touched objects and surfaces.
“By working together and acting responsibly, the Santa Paula community can both jumpstart our local economy and establish a new way of life that will help keep both our workforce and families safe,” said Santa Paula Mayor Rick Araiza.
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Slow down, still be careful, go out when you need to, we will get through this together.
Too early. To soon. Gonna a kill people for profits.