Ventura County reflects on anniversary of beginning of COVID-19 pandemic
VENTURA, Calif. -- It has been almost a full year since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Ventura County reported its first COVID-19 case back on March 9 of last year. Since then there have been over 77,800 cases to date.
Newschannel 3 reporter Senerey De Los Santos spoke with Ventura County Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Levin about his thoughts looking back at this past year.
Levin explained what he has learned, things he might have done different and the emotions that came from trying to keep the public safe.
“I was disappointed and I was discouraged,” said Dr. Levin. “I was very often inspired by the people in our county and the steps they were willing to take to comply with helping one an other to try to push down this virus.”
Dr. Levin said the hardest part of the past year was losing his mother but not to COVID.
“I think the bad was the isolation and the loneliness. There is no question in my mind that my mother who was staying in a long term care facility, I don’t think she would of died if we continued to have more contact," Levin siad.
Levin said there is one thing he would have changed.
“I would of somehow better dealt with the science deniers and the reality deniers," he said. "For me the hardest part is looking at the deniers and seeing how much impact, negative impact they had on our progress.”
Levin said Ventura County has been a leader as one of the top counties in California for testing and launching multiple vaccination sites.
“At the moment I feel a real sense of optimism and relief that we are heading in the right direction. The vaccines are rolling out at a really rapid pace.”
County leaders say life might be back to normal by next summer.
“I think that mask wearing is something we are going to see for years. I think when we get on public transportation I think people will wear a mask," Levin said. "At the same time I am mindful of the people who have suffered and are suffering. Whether it is a loss of a loved one or health issues themselves, lost job, lost business, we have to keep those folks in the forefront of our mind everyday.”
