At an April 27 virtual press conference, county officials discussed the importance of continued physical distance as well as potential plans for reopening in the future. According to Santa Maria City Councilmember Gloria Soto, the city plans to follow the county’s lead on any reopening plans.
Second District Supervisor Gregg Hart said that, if the public wants to maintain access to public outdoors spaces like beaches, trails, and parks, people need to continue to respect physical distancing guidelines—particularly as temperatures start to rise and more people flock to outdoor activities.
“The overflow parking lot at Arroyo Burro was also closed, and there was a big sign advising beachgoers to avoid overcrowding, because too many people could force the closure of beaches,” Hart said of the previous weekend, during which temperatures broke 80 degrees.
Public Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg reiterated the continued importance of physical distancing, stating, “Our COVID-19 related hospitalization and ICU admission rate has remained stable over the weekend, which again, is directly attributed to our efforts as a county with maintaining physical distancing.”
However, Ansorg also said that the county is beginning to work with local medical experts and business leaders to come up with a plan on how to eventually transition out of the stay-at-home order locally, which can only happen after the governor lifts statewide orders.
“The decision on when this will be possible has to be made thoughtfully, safely, and rationally, founded in scientific data,” Ansorg said. “Locally, we want to make sure that we have a plan in place and are ready once the qualifying criteria for reopening have been met.”
City Councilmember Soto told the Sun that the city of Santa Maria’s reopening would likely be accompanied by some degree of continued social distancing.
“We’ve been having conversations about what a reopening phase for us here in Santa Maria would look like,” she said. “I am almost certain that there will still be some sort of social-distancing measure that will still be in place.”
Soto emphasized that Santa Maria small businesses will need attention and support.
“We’re trying to figure out, one, how we can support businesses in practicing those recommendations to protect the well-being of their customers, but also of their employees. And two, how we can support them in being successful once that order is lifted,” she said. “The biggest thing is making sure that public health is at the forefront of everything that we do.”
Soto said that Santa Maria should focus less on an exact reopening date, and more on how “to support our residents and our small business owners when those orders are lifted.”
Soto said she continues to hear from constituents who are experiencing economic hardship from COVID-19 closures and economic changes.
“I had a constituent reach out to me who works in an auto dealership, for instance,” she said. “They saw a large reduction in hours, but also the pay, because they weren’t selling at all.”
But it’s vital to balance these economic concerns with ensuring that the virus continues to be contained, Soto said.
“My biggest fear is if we’re not cautious about how we reopen. If we open up too soon, my concern is of a second wave hitting, a wave that could be worse than what we’ve experienced now,” she said. “It’s crucial for us as a governing body to really listen to what public health experts say when it comes to what is considered an essential service and what’s not, and also their social-distancing recommendations.”
Other than Lompoc, which is home to the federal prison outbreak, the city of Santa Maria has the highest number of confirmed positive cases in the county at 104 cases as of April 27 and one death.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 7, 2020.