Reopening of Businesses

The State of California issued a new Regional Stay-at-Home Order that is triggered when a region falls below 15% remaining ICU capacity.

Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up, or delivery.
Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
Shopping centers: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
Hotels and lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only.
Entertainment production including professional sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and "bubbles" are highly encouraged.
Gyms and fitness centers: Outdoor operations only.
Grocery Stores: 35% capacity
Farmers Markets: principal business activity is the sale of food, may operate at 35% capacity
Outdoor playgrounds are now allowed to reopen

If your business does not have an Occupancy Load sign posted, please contact:

COVID Compliance Hotline at 844-826-7367 and select 'Ventura' from the menu options. Your call will be routed to a City of Ventura representative for assistance.
- Please note: you must include staff in the occupancy calculations. For example, for a restaurant with a posted occupancy of 100, you can have 25 people indoors (25% occupancy). If you have 10 staff, then you can have 15 customers indoors.

Important steps for businesses to reopen:

Before reopening, all businesses authorized to reopen must confirm the following at www.VCReopens.com

Begin by reviewing the guidance published by the State of California here
Upon reviewing the guidance, complete a detailed risk assessment of your business in accordance with the state guidelines
Complete a written worksite-specific 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 here.
Upon completing your attestation, an official from your local jurisdiction may conduct a site visit
Post the hotline flyer form at your business so that it is visible to customers and employees. (COVID-19 Hotline Flyer)

For questions regarding Stay Well at Home Orders and business re-openings, please contact the County of Ventura at:

COVID-19 Compliance Hotline: 1-844-VC-OPENS or 1-844-826-7367
COVID-19 Compliance Email: covidcompliance@ventura.org
- You may also email or call the hotline to report a local business that is not properly complying with the County of Ventura order.
- The City of Ventura Code Enforcement Division will be performing COVID-19 prevention plan reviews with local businesses (with the exception of restaurants, dental offices, and automotive and repair shops)
- The County of Ventura Environmental Health Division will be conducting all restaurant inspections