Coronavirus Information

Status as of Tuesday, December 10, 2020

City Statement on State Orders

Since Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement about stricter stay-at-home orders and the changes in some business activities, many people are asking how we will be handling enforcement. As has been the case throughout this evolving situation, we will continue to educate our community of the health orders and encourage compliance with them.

It is anticipated that City service levels to the community will remain the same and City Hall will keep its current operating hours. Additionally, the City of Santa Paula remains committed to supporting our local businesses and encourages residents to shop local this holiday season.

Like you we are disappointed by this turn of events, but remain confident that we can pull together to slow the spread of COVID-19. We’ve done it before and we can do it again. Remember you can keep yourself and others safe by limiting your out of home activities, wearing a face covering, practicing physical distancing and frequently washing your hands.

State and County Updates

On Thursday, December 3, the State announced a new regional stay at home order based on the region’s ICU capacity rate. Once triggered, the new order would implement further sector closures and modifications. On Friday, December 4, the ICU capacity rate in the Southern California region, which includes the City of Santa Paula, fell below the State’s 15% rate, prompting the new order to take effect on Sunday, December 6. All operations in the following sectors must close:

  • Indoor Playgrounds
  • Indoor Recreational Facilities
  • Hair Salons and Barbershops
  • Personal Care Services
  • Museums, Zoos, and Aquariums
  • Movie Theaters
  • Wineries
  • Bars, Breweries and Distilleries
  • Family Entertainment Centers
  • Cardrooms and Satellite Wagering
  • Limited Services
  • Live Audience Sports
  • Amusement Parks

The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100 percent masking and physical distancing:

  • Outdoor Playgrounds: Playgrounds may remain open to facilitate physically distanced personal health and wellness through outdoor exercise.  Playgrounds located on schools that remain open for in-person instruction, and not accessible by the general public, may remain open and must follow guidance for schools and school-based programs (PDF) 
  • Outdoor Recreational Facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
  • Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20 percent capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
  • Shopping Centers: Allow indoor operation at 20 percent capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
  • Hotels and Lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
  • Restaurants: Allow only for take-out or pick-up.
  • Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
  • Places of Worship: Allow outdoor services only.
  • Entertainment Production including Professional Sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.

Read the State’s full regional stay at home order here.

The new regional stay at home order augments the State's limited Stay at home order announced on November 19, which requires all gatherings and non-essential activities to stop between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM.

Read the full order on the State’s Department of Public Health website here.

California Department of Public Health / Governor's Office mandates use of face coverings

On November 16, the California Department of Public Health now requires all people in California to wear a face covering when they are outside of their home unless they are:

  • In a car alone or solely with members of their own household
  • Working in an office or in a room alone
  • Actively eating or drinking provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six (6) feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence
  • Outdoors and maintaining at least six (6) feet of social distancing from others not in their household; however, these individuals must carry a face covering and wear it when they are within six (6) feet of others who are not in their household
  • Obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service
  • Workers who are required to wear respiratory protection
  • Specifically exempted from wearing face coverings by other CDPH guidance

View the full state guidance here.

County Testing Sites

The County of Ventura offers COVID-19 testing for free for all community members. There is one county drive-up testing site in Santa Paula in the City parking lot located at the corner of E. Main Street and N. Ojai Street. The testing site serves community members Friday through Tuesday from 10 AM to 7 PM. No appointment is necessary at this site. For all county testing site information, please visit the County's website here.


COVID-19_Testing_Sites_Flyer_EN Opens in new window

California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy

On August 28, 2020, Governor Newsom released the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, California’s tiered system designed for living with COVID-19 for the long haul. The plan imposes risk-based criteria on tightening and loosening COVID-19 allowable activities and expands the length of time between changes to assess how any movement affects the trajectory of the disease. The plan includes:

  1. At least 21 days to expand activities beyond the initial tier to ensure California better limits the spread of the virus;
  2. Mandatory metrics – case rates and test positivity – to measure how widespread COVID-19 is in each county and guide what is allowed;
  3. A uniform state framework, with four categories instead of 58 different sets of rules;                                                                        
  4. A more nuanced way of allowing activity: Instead of open vs. closed, sectors can be partially opened and progressively add to their operations as disease transmission decreases; and
  5. A new process for tightening back up again quickly when conditions worsen.

To move into the next tier, counties will also be required to show they are targeting resources and making the greatest effort possible to prevent and fight COVID-19 in communities and with individuals with the highest risk, as well as demonstrate improvements in outcomes.

Blueprint for a Safer Economy Tiers

COVID-19 Tenant and Landlord Protection Legislation

On August 31, Governor Newsom announced that legislation has been passed to protect tenants from eviction and property owners from foreclosure due to economic impacts of COVID-19. These protections apply to tenants who declare an inability to pay all or part of their rent due to a COVID-related reason. See the Governor's press release here.

State releases guidance on youth sports

On August 6, the California Department of Public Health allowed youth sports to resume for training, conditioning and physical education in Ventura County. Santa Paula’s parks are open for outdoor youth sports practice. However, games, tournaments and scrimmages are not allowed to help slow the spread of COVID-19. To reserve a field, call our Parks & Recreation Office at 805-933-4226 ext 350.

Please note that any organization conducting training must register under Youth Sports at VCReopens.com and follow State guidelines. All practices and conditioning must account for State-mandated social distancing measures. Additionally, all practices and conditioning must take place outdoors due to Ventura County’s elevated rate of COVID-19 cases. 

Adult and amateur team sports have not been permitted by the State to resume.

For additional information on the State’s guidelines regarding youth sports, please visit the State’s COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Youth Sports document. View all state issued industry guidance here.

California Department of Public Health / Governor's Office mandates use of face coverings

The California Department of Public Health updated their guidance for the use of cloth face coverings by the general public when outside the home. It mandates that face coverings be worn statewide in most public spaces starting June 19, 2020, with certain exceptions outlined in the updated guidelines. It does not substitute for existing guidance about social distancing and hand washing.

Click here to view the updated guidelines, released June 18, 2020.

Additional Updates

Local State of Emergency Declaration & Stay Well at Home Orders

On March 13, the City of Santa Paula proclaimed a Local State of Emergency regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and in preparation for the inevitable moment when cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the city. As of June 22, 2020, there are 171 cases of COVID-19 within the city limits of Santa Paula according to Ventura County Public Health. We remain committed to sharing information with Santa Paula residents and will continue to update this webpage with the latest information and resources.

The City of Santa Paula enforces the Stay Well at Home order issued by the Ventura County Public Health Officer on March 20 and updated June 11, 2020, which orders all residents of the County of Ventura to stay inside their residences and limit all non-essential movement outside of their homes and supplements the State Public Health Officer’s Order dated March 19, 2020, to address the unique needs of Ventura County in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The County order is in alignment with the May 7 State of California Executive Order and provides more details specific to the community in this region. The order will continue to be in effect until rescinded, superseded or amended in writing by the County Health Officer.

On March 19, the California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health directed all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence except for essential needs. Essential services will remain open, and government programs and services will continue to be provided. Visit the California COVID-19 Response webpage for details and to read the full Executive Order.

For the most up-to-date information on health recommendations related to coronavirus, please continue to also refer to the CDC website, the California Department of Public Health website, and the Ventura County Department of Public Health website.

Santa Paula Unified School District

Santa Paula Unified School District (SPUSD) opened the school year on Wednesday, August 12 providing instruction to all students via a distance learning model (online instruction). For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the SPUSD website.

PLEASE NOTE: The Child Nutrition Services Team will be distributing multiple days worth of meals on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11am to 1pm. Please visit the Santa Paula Unified School District Website for more information.

City Facilities and Programs

City Hall is still here to help you, but to limit the spread of COVID-19, we’re reducing in-person interactions whenever possible. The Utility Billing counter in City Hall is open Monday – Thursday from 9:00am – noon. The same hours will apply to the alternate Fridays the City is open.

Click here to view a listing of the most up-to-date information about the status of city services and facilities.

Press Releases

CDPH Guidance for Face Coverings (June 18, 2020) (English)

Reopening and Community Reminders (June 12, 2020) (English)

Reopening and Community Reminders (June 12, 2020) (Spanish)

Stay Well at Home Order Reminder and Updates (April 10, 2020)

Sanitation Wipes Notice Press Release (March 24, 2020) (English)

Sanitation Wipes Notice Press Release (March 24, 2020) (Spanish)

City Implements “Stay Well at Home” Orders, Confirms Two Cases of Coronavirus in Santa Paula (March 20, 2020)

New Community Update on COVID-19 for the City of Santa Paula (March 16, 2020) (English)

New Community Update on COVID-19 for the City of Santa Paula (March 16, 2020) (Spanish)

Declaration of Emergency Press Release (March 13, 2020)

Santa Paula Declaration of Emergency Document 

Ventura County Public Health Updates

For the latest information and to view the latest data on the COVID-19 cases in Ventura County, please click here to be routed to the Ventura County Recovers website. 

For the latest information from Ventura County Public Health, please visit the Newsroom on their Coronavirus Information webpage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

HERE IS THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC.GOV)