More than 4,000 business in Santa Barbara County have completed steps to safely reopen

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - More than 4,000 county-based businesses have successfully completed a series of tasks to allow them to safely reopen.

The milestone of business attestations was reached with the help of the County RISE (Reopening In Safe Environment) and Ambassadors.

The business attestations completed to-date include a variety of business sectors located across the county.

“We are very pleased to see so many businesses taking important steps to safely re-open their businesses during the pandemic,” commented Gregg Hart, Chair, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. “This demonstrates the amazing resiliency of the business community and their perseverance during this difficult and unprecedented time.”

The RISE Guide has guided businesses through the reopening process during this uncertain time. It was developed by medical experts and feedback from the community to create a science-based framework for residents, businesses and organizations to reopen in phases.

“The development of the RISE Guide included the participation of more than 350 individuals in a series of 27 roundtable meetings with city leaders, local elected officials, chambers of commerce, industry sectors, faith-based communities, representatives of essential workers and organizations that regularly work with minority and underserved populations,” explained Hart.

The County’s reopening plan includes a template for businesses to create their own protection plan following state guidance and health officer orders.

The County also assembled a team of ambassadors to offer help for individual businesses.

“The ambassador program was very effective in providing individualized assistance to businesses across the county,” said Hart. “Through our ambassadors, we were able to really help businesses obtain the tools they needed to open their doors.”

To view the RISE guide and other business reopening information, visit recoverysbc.org.