SB County Public Health to wait before next round of reopening
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - After a busy week of businesses reopening in Santa Barbara County, the Public Health Department said Friday that the County will wait before more restrictions are eased.
Since last week, dine-in restaurants, salons, barber shops, and in-person religious services have been allowed to reopen in the County, with some modifications.
"At this point, I strongly believe we need to pause for another week or two in order to assess the impact of these newly-opened activities on the spread of the virus in our area," said Dr. Henning Ansorg, Santa Barbara County's Public Health Officer.
Ansorg says so far, Public Health has not seen a trend between the reopened businesses and additional coronavirus cases. However, he says that more time is needed before the County can reopen further.
“Next week or the next two weeks will be very crucial in understanding and learning, for us, how this pans out, whether or not the reopening had an effect on cases,” Ansorg said.
Second District Supervisor Gregg Hart says a team of volunteer "reopening ambassadors" will visit reopened businesses beginning this weekend to make sure they have the proper information and are correctly following guidance to remain open.
Places of worship can now offer in-person services once again, with reduced capacity. But not all congregations will reopen their buildings this weekend.
“African American national religious leaders are urging caution, because we are more susceptible to the novel coronavirus,” said Rev. David Moore, Jr., lead pastor of Santa Barbara’s New Covenant Worship Center, which will only offer virtual services this weekend.
“The everydayness of the African American struggle around the country—and here in Santa Barbara as well—is commonly overlooked,” Moore, Jr. added. “Due to the pre-existing conditions of forced impoverishment related to red lining hiring and firing practices, high density housing, and lack of healthcare access—which all lead to higher rates of hypertension, diabetes and obesity—these factors have caused us to die from the pandemic more than most.”
With his congregation more at-risk, Moore, Jr. says he is not in a rush for his church's in-person services to resume. He says its online services will continue.
"We recognize together that our church has never closed," Moore, Jr. said. "Only our building is closed."
County leaders say that while the community must work together to get through the pandemic, people must also listen to each other.
“We are weathering the same storm, but we are not in the same boat,” said Suzanne Grimmesey from the County’s Department of Behavioral Health, using a line from a local business owner. “It is only through hearing the individual stories shared that we can truly understand the different perspectives within our community.”
