Ventura County Could Move to Red Tier October 6th; Playgrounds May Now Open in California

On Monday, the State of California announced that the County of Ventura has met the State COVID-19 metrics for one week. If Ventura County meets the metrics for an additional week, the state will allow the county to move into the Red Tier of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

As of September 29, the Ventura County has met the threshold for the case rate for the Red Tier. Any county within this tier must indicate a daily case rate of between 4-7 cases and a positivity rate of between 5-8%. Ventura County currently has a daily case rate of 7.0. The County’s testing volume of 283 exceeds the state average of 248.9. This has allowed for an adjustment by the state of the case rate from 8 to 7. Exceeding the requirements for testing has helped the County advance.

The County anticipates that establishment in the Red Tier would become effective starting Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

Once in the Red Tier, personal care services, restaurants, places of worship, movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers, along with museums, zoos and aquariums will be able to open for indoor operations with modifications.

Stores with indoor operations that are open in the Purple Tier can increase indoor capacity to 50% in the Red Tier. Restaurants can open indoors at 25% capacity. Places of worship, higher education, and zoos and museums can open indoor operations at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less. Fitness centers and gyms will be able to offer indoor operations at 10% capacity.

School openings for in-person instruction are only able to be considered once a county has been in the Red Tier for 14 consecutive days. At this time, only schools that have applied for school waivers and have been approved are allowed to be open for in-person instruction. If the county continues to meet the threshold for case rate and other metrics, K-12 schools across the County could reopen as early as Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

Additionally, as of September 28, the state has allowed for outdoor playgrounds operated by a city, state, county, or federal government to open. The County of Ventura is in line with the guidance that has been provided by the state. More details at THIS LINK.

Visitors to outdoor community playgrounds must comply with the following requirements:

1. Face masks over the mouth and nose are required for everyone 2 years of age or older with caregiver supervision at all times to ensure face mask use.

2. Do not use the playground when different households are unable to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or when the capacity limit has been reached.

3. Caregivers must monitor to keep adults and children from different households at least 6 feet apart.

4. Consider coming on different times or days to avoid wait times and potential crowded times.

5. No eating or drinking in playground, to ensure face masks are worn at all times.

6. Wash or sanitize hands before and after using the playground.

7. Elderly and persons with underlying medical conditions should avoid playground when others are present.

8. Limit visit to 30 min per day when others are present

2020 Halloween Guidance Issued by Ventura County Public Health

UPDATE 9/16: There's been an update to VC Public Health's "Interim Halloween Guidance" available at vcrecovers.com in the News and Updates section. Door to door trick or treating and "trunk or treating" are now "not recommended" rather than "not permitted."

Details at vcportal.ventura.org/CEO/VCNC/2020-09-16_VCPH_InterimHalloweenGuidance.pdf

Ventura County Public Health has issued Halloween Guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19 that includes the following:

Not Permitted Under Current Health Orders:

1. Halloween gatherings or events with non-household members, both indoors and outdoors.

2. Carnivals, festivals, live entertainment and haunted house attractions.

3. Door to door trick or treating.*

4. "Trunk or treating"*

* Due to difficulty in maintaining social distancing, riskiness of sharing food/candy, etc.

Permitted and Recommended:

1. Online parties/contests

2. Pumpkin picking at pumpkin patches

3. Car parades

4. Halloween movie nights at drive-in theaters

5. Halloween themed meals at outdoor eateries

6. Dressing up homes/yards with Halloween decor

More details at THIS LINK.

The Los Angeles Zoo is Reopening on August 26th

The Los Angeles Zoo has announced its plans to reopen on Wednesday, August 26th. Advance, timed-entry reservations will be required for all guests. And of course, face coverings and physical distancing will be required.

While most outdoor animal exhibits will reopen, a number of activities will remain closed, such as giraffe feedings, flamingo mingle, photo safari , the LAIR, aviary and certain other areas.

Learn more and buy your tickets at www.lazoo.org/reopening.

Mile Stretch of State Street in Santa Barbara Closed to Vehicular Traffic

Since May 22, State Street between Sola Street and Haley Street in Downtown Santa Barbara has been closed to vehicular traffic. This has allowed restaurants to expand their outdoor seating options during the pandemic.

There’s plenty of parking in the adjoining streets and parking lots.

Bicyclists are allowed in this promenade area, but must ride at a safe pace.

Wear your masks and enjoy your visit!

Learn more at www.downtownsb.org.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center to Open on Weekends Beginning August 15th

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center on Stearns Wharf has received permission to open its outdoor spaces to the public. Starting this weekend, it will be open Saturday and Sunday, noon–4:00 PM.

The Wet Deck will be open for exploring life beneath Stearns Wharf and outside you'll be able to touch friendly Swell Sharks, sea anemones, sea stars, and other animals from the Center’s popular Intertidal Wonders exhibit.

Daily activities at the Museum (including visits from Sea Center experts and live animals) will continue through August. Check our calendar to see what's happening on which days.

Tickets to the Sea Center are $7.

www.sbnature.org/visit/hours

Main Street Moves Downtown Ventura Street Closures Continue through September 14th

UPDATE: Main Street Moves has continued to operate post-pandemic and in its November 2024 meeting, Ventura City Council voted to keep the year-round street closure on an ongoing basis. Visit https://downtownventura.org/moves for more information.

Since June 16th, Downtown Ventura has closed its streets to expand outdoor dining and shopping as part of its Main Street Moves launch. This will continue through September 14th.

The City of Ventura in partnership with Downtown Ventura invites the community to shop, sip, snack, and stroll safely in the historic streets of Downtown Ventura as part of “Main Street Moves .”

Five blocks in historic Downtown Ventura are closed to vehicular traffic to allow more space for adjacent businesses to expand operations to help maintain safe physical distancing requirements. Main Street Moves features amenities including live music, handwashing stations, sanitation efforts, temporary ADA restroom facilities, additional tables and chairs, and bike racks to accommodate 140 bikes.

Closures are in place along four blocks on Main Street, between Fir and Palm Streets, and one block of California Street, between Santa Clara and Poli Streets. During street closures, barricades will be in place to ensure visitors' safety.

Businesses interested in participating in the program must continue to follow Ventura County Public Health’s guidelines and are responsible for submitting an application for expansion onto public or private property. The 30-day program will be reevaluated to determine if additional extension time is required. For City permit application information, visit the City’s website or click here .

To learn more about Main Street Moves or for a map of all participating businesses, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=317.

Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park Open for Outdoor Tours on Saturdays

The Stagecoach Inn Museum is now open for business from 1-4:00PM Saturdays (check the website for additional hours and areas moving forward). Masks are required and there is a suggested donation of $5 /per person. Exact cash or debit/credit card.

Guests will have access to the Rose Garden and Nature Trail and the following buildings will be open for viewing from doorways, with docents onsite to present interesting historical facts: Schoolhouse, Blacksmith Shop, Carriage House, Pioneer House, Adobe, Chumash Ap.

The main building remains closed until further notice, but there is plenty to do outdoors, enjoying the beautiful summer weather.

The original Stagecoach Inn, called the Grand Union Hotel, was built in 1876 at the southwest corner of what is now Ventu Park Road and the Ventura Freeway and is now designated City of Thousand Oaks Historical Landmark No. 1.

Our Covid Tour is safer than visiting the grocery store—so catch a stage and help us keep Conejo Valley history alive!

Stagecoach Inn Museum, 51 S. Ventu Park Rd., Newbury Park, (805) 498-9441. Open Saturdays, 1-4PM.

stagecoachinnmuseum.com

The Grant R. Brimhall Library in Thousand Oaks Offers Curbside Pickup Service

The Grant R. Brimhall Library in Thousand Oaks has been offering curbside pickup service, where you can pick up library materials that you placed a hold on on the library’s website or by phone. Anyone with a Thousand Oaks Library card can use the service.

The way it works is to log in to the library’s catalog at discover.tolibrary.org and request a hold on the items you want. You will be notified when the items are ready for pickup in your account, then have seven days to pick up your items. You may also request the hold by calling 805-449-2660 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Curbside pickup is available Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m. to p.m. Not available Wed/Sun.

To pick up the items, follow the signs to the Greeter Station and place your library card, barcode side up, or your California driver’s license on the right side of your dashboard.

At the Distribution Station, library staff will place your items either in your trunk or your right rear passenger window.

DVDs and BluRay discs will be available for curbside checkout, fee free, during this period.

Items may be returned in the drive-up book drops and go through a one day quarantine period.

The Newbury Park Branch Library remains closed until further notice for both pickups and returns.

www.tolibrary.org

Bank of America Performing Arts Center Will Remain Closed for Live Events Until Jan. 2021

The City of Thousand Oaks announced today that The Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Thousand Oaks (BAPAC) will remain closed for live events until January 2021.

All programs that are on the calendar through December will be rescheduled. All patrons will be notified as soon as the new dates are confirmed. If a show must cancel, patrons will be notified of refund options.

When performances resume in January, the building will have been without live performances for 41 weeks. This unprecedented dark period is a direct result of the prolonged safety and health concerns arising from COVID-19. Although the venue will not hold live events with audiences, the theatres may be used for potential filming and streaming opportunities without live audiences.

BAPAC is one of the largest performing arts centers between Los Angeles and San Francisco and is funded through a unique public/private partnership between the City of Thousand Oaks and Thousand Oaks Alliance for the Arts (TOARTS). It consists of the 1,800-seat Fred Kavli Theatre for the Performing Arts and the 394-seat Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre, which combine outstanding arts and entertainment with state-of-the-art technology and acoustics. Historically, over 200,000 patrons and 50,000 school children attend more than 300 performances annually.

For more information and updates as they occur, please visit our website at www.BAPACthousandoaks.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. For ticketing questions, please call the box office at 805 449 2787.