Lavagnino: State to exclude Lompoc Prison cases from Santa Barbara County totals

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The State of California will exclude the large number of coronavirus cases at the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex from Santa Barbara County's overall total, according to Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino.

The decision comes after county officials spent the better part of the previous week lobbying the state to exclude the cases at the Lompoc prisons so that the county will be better prepared to move into the next stage of reopening.

Lavagnino posted on his Facebook that new criteria will allow county officials to attest that the county meets the requirements to move forward. Lavagnino said he expects the state to agree with the county's attestation.

If allowed to move into the next stage of reopening, Santa Barbara County could see businesses like shopping malls, pet groomers, outdoor museums, and some office workplaces and dine-in restaurants reopening, Lavagnino said.

Santa Barbara County has installed a plan with basic guidelines to move forward based off of outlines set by the State. It's called the Santa Barbara County RISE Guide, or Reopening In Safe Environment.

Santa Barbara County is expected to submit their attestation soon and know if it will get the green light to move forward within 48 hours, according to Lavagnino.

Each business will have to re-certify that it has reviewed the state's checklist and have a plan in place.