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Guide covers reopening County to release COVID-19 document By MITCHELL WHITE NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
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RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS PhOTOS
Santa Barbara resident Peggy WIlson, front, joins demonstrators showing their support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk Wednesday at the company’s dealership on Hitchcock Way.
s Santa Barbara County continues to follow Gov. Gavin Newsom’s fourstage plan to reopen businesses and restart the local economy, the county will be releasing a supplemental guide later this week. Viewed as a guide that will use a science-based approach to fill in the gaps missed by Gov. Newsom’s plan, the Reopening In a Safe Environment plan will take into account the special attributes of Santa Barbara County. The RISE guide will address topics such as the local tourism industry, how to accommodate the return of college students from across the globe and the county’s urban, suburban and rural diversity, County CEO Mona Miyasato said Wednesday during a teleconference hosted by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson and Assemblymember Monique Limon. “We want to make sure we’re consistent with the governor’s road map, but we also want to make sure we’re advocating for what’s needed for our county to open safely,” she said. The guide will include parameters based on epidemiology, hospital information and other public health metrics, which will be used when Public Health Officer
Dr. Henning Ansorg needs to tighten or loosen restrictions. “It really recognizes that restrictions aren’t on-off switches, but dials that need to be turned and titrated carefully,” Ms. Miyasato said. The guide will also feature best practices to help businesses prepare for reopening, which have been compiled from a series of roundtables from 27 different groups and over 300 participants, Ms. Miyasato said. Since the county began compiling its guide, the state has also released sector guidance. For the areas without any guidance from the state, the locally generated guides will be used. A survey is expected to be posted to the county’s website to allow for additional input. “On a hopeful note, we know this won’t last forever. I know it feels like it,” she said. “There is light at the end of the tunnel, and we’re all on the same team in trying to make that day occur as soon as possible and as soon as we can do it safely.” During Wednesday’s conference call, Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso revealed that the county has provided 1,518 COVID-19 tests through its three community testing sites over the past week. Some results have been confirmed and thus far the county has registered less than 1% of positivity rates, she said. Please see cOvid-19 on A8
supporting Tesla Local demonstrators agree with Elon Musk reopening plant
By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
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ozens of local residents gathered outside the Tesla dealership on Hitchcock Way Wednesday afternoon, waving American flags and holding signs in support of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who this week disobeyed Alameda County’s COVID-19 restrictions and reopened the company’s plant in Fremont. The automotive plant resumed operations Monday. In a Twitter
post, Mr. Musk announced his action and even expressed a willingness to be arrested for his decision. “I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me,” the post read. Wednesday’s demonstration not only expressed support for Mr. Musk’s decision to get his own employees back to work after a month and a half of inactivity, but a desire for the state of California to lift restrictions on businesses that have been deemed nonessential amid the COVID-19
pandemic. This wider concern for California businesses was expressed by event organizer Peggy Wilson. While very appreciative of Mr. Musk for reopening the Fremont plant against the authorities’ wishes, Ms. Wilson remarked that most California business owners don’t have the option of doing what the Tesla CEO did because they don’t wield nearly as much wealth or influence. She asked, “What about the average man? Do you have to be super wealthy to get your job open
again?” Ms. Wilson also had some pointed words regarding Gov. Gavin Newsom and his continued restrictions on businesses and gatherings. Referring to him as “King Newsom,” she called his restrictions “unconstitutional.” “All of our rights are being taken away, our First Amendment rights: speech, assembly and religious gatherings. This is unconstitutional,” she said. Decrying the forced shutdowns of certain businesses as a violation Please see TesLa on A8
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
Four California Air National Guard F-15C Eagles flew over Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on Wednesday to show solidarity with health care workers, first responders and other essential personnel.
Fighter jets salute frontline workers By PAUL GONZALEZ NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
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At left, Gary Vandeman of Goleta holds his sign supporting Tesla. At right, Jim Worthen, center, of Santa Barbara shows his support for Tesla.
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our fighter jets flew nearly 1,000 miles up and down California on Wednesday to honor health care workers, first responders and other essential personnel. The California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing, stationed at the Fresno Air National Guard Base, launched four F-15C Eagle fighter jets on the jaunt around California. The jets left Fresno at 10 a.m., arrived in Sacramento at 10:31 a.m. and came back down to Santa Barbara at about 11:36 a.m. They flew over medical facilities along the way. The jets returned to Fresno at 12:03 p.m. “When we heard about that, everyone appreciated it. We thought it was something different. A unique way to recognize those of us on the frontlines,” said outpatient hemodialysis nurse Sophia Gonzalez, a Carpinteria resident who works in Fresno.
“Although I was not able to physically see the flyover because I was on the floor working with patients during our scheduled fly over time; just knowing that we are receiving support and appreciation from so many means the world to us,” she said. Glenna Verdugo, a nursing supervisor at Sansum Clinic Gastroenterology and Ambulatory Surgery Center, said that more than 50 health care workers from Sansum Clinic and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital went outside to see the flyover. “We ran outside when they were flying over. We appreciated it. It was cool. It’s good when you have your head down, and you’re in the thick of it to get that recognition. It was a good gesture, I’m sure it took some planning and logistics to do that for us,” Ms. Verdugo said. Senior Master Sergeant Chris Drudge, a California Air National Guard public affairs officer, said the flyover was important because it showed Please see saLUTe on A8
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