County health officers granted greater control over reopening




NOT IN THE WATER YET—Daland Swim School has not been allowed to reopen, although private pools, such as community pools in HOAs, are back in operation. Acorn file photo

NOT IN THE WATER YET—Daland Swim School has not been allowed to reopen, although private pools, such as community pools in HOAs, are back in operation. Acorn file photo

Daland Swim School is in uncharted waters.

Though technically open, the 33-year-old aquatic center on Wilbur Road in Thousand Oaks can’t use its primary asset: an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Gone are the sounds of flailing arms and kicking feet splashing through the water. Instructors and lifeguards, who were rehired after the small business qualified for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, are relegated to leading exercises on the pool deck.

Unlike community swimming pools, such as those found in rental complexes or controlled by HOAs, public swimming pools like Daland, Rancho Simi Community Pool in Simi Valley and Community Pool at Cal Lutheran University have not received permission to reopen in Ventura County.

Leslie Daland-James, whose mother, Ingrid Daland, founded the business in 1987, said she doesn’t understand the logic of Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Levin, who holds the power to decide when she can welcome back the hundreds of children who use the facility for summer classes.

She said she’s worried about keeping her business afloat.

“It’s scary for all of us,” she said of herself and her 40 employees.

Daland-James is not alone. The swim school is one of many Ventura County businesses still anxiously awaiting word on when they can reopen. The businesses include movie theaters, gyms, fitness studios and tattoo parlors as well as everyone in the beauty services field, not including hairstylists and barbers: manicurists, aestheticians, eyebrow artists and makeup professionals.

The county, meanwhile, says it cannot move forward on reopening many businesses and amenities until it receives guidance from the state regarding how those places should operate to minimize the risk of virus spread.

“Once the state issues any new guidance, we will make an announcement for local businesses to reopen,” said Ashley Bautista, county spokesperson. “The governor indicated guidance would be coming soon for summer camps. We learn about the guidance at the same time as the community, in his press conferences.”

After holding weekly Board of Supervisors meetings and thrice-weekly briefings for 11 consecutive weeks during the outbreak, the county is back to one supervisors meeting every two weeks and one news conference a week on Wednesdays.

At Wednesday’s briefing, county CEO Mike Powers said the county’s three indoor shopping malls had received the green light to reopen with restrictions.

While Levin has been able to defer to the state throughout much of his stay-home order— which is entering its seventh week—Gov. Gavin Newsom announced May 29 that counties approved to enter accelerated Phase 2 of his four-phase reopening plan could decide for themselves at what pace they’ll move through Phase 3.

Phase 3 includes the reopening of a wide range of the so-called higher risk businesses and services named above as well as bars, wineries and tasting rooms.

It also includes libraries, community centers and playgrounds.

Newsom said the number of people in the hospital and in intensive care units throughout the state due to COVID-19 has remained static over “many, many weeks” and has begun to decline slightly.

“That frame of stability . . . gives us confidence that counties can decide at their own pace what’s best for them in terms of their reopening plans,” he said.

In Ventura County ( pop. 850,000), the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, has never reached higher than 35 at one time, according to county statistics.

Previously, counties had been told they could not reopen any faster than what the state allowed.

“ What works in Lassen (County) may not work in other parts of the state. What works in Kern (County) may not even work nearby in Tulare County,” Newsom said. “Each county has its own unique conditions. . . . We put out the how, and the counties decide when.”

Counties cannot move into Phase 4—which marks the end of stay-home orders and the return of concerts, conventions, sports arenas, etc.—ahead of the state’s green light.

To date, over 5,800 Ventura County businesses have registered to reopen since the county began accepting requests in early

May—Daland Swim School is not one of them.

A statement released in May on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website states: “There is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas. Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water.”

Daland-James said she’s been lobbying city and county officials to apply pressure to Levin so she can resume lessons under CDC guidelines.

Until then, all her business can do is tread water.

“As soon as they give us the green light, we’re ready,” Daland-James said.