Free COVID-19 testing is now available for all Ventura County residents at two locations in the region, officials announced Friday.
Those hoping to be tested can register by calling 1-888-634-1123 or go online at www.lhi.care/covidtesting.
Officials are looking to add three additional testing sites, one at Ventura College, one at Moorpark College and a third in Santa Paula, that will each have the capacity to test up to 300 people a day.
About 15,550 people have already been tested countywide, and officials hope to be able to test 1,300 residents a day.
As of Friday evening, there were a total of 764 coronavirus cases with 25 deaths in the region. A total of 502 people have recovered from the respiratory illness.
Authorities were investigating an outbreak at a local agricultural packing house where 35 workers were found to be positive for COVID-19, Rigoberto Vargas, the county’s public health director said Friday.
An inspection was done at the location and officials are working with the employees and their families to make sure they are appropriately isolated or quarantined.
No other outbreaks of that size have been reported in the region, Vargas said.
Those in the agricultural industry, from farmworkers to packers, have continued working amid the pandemic and authorities continue to ensure their safety, Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner Ed Williams said.
He added that there are as many as 43,000 farm workers laboring during the height of production season, continuing to provide food for the county and the nation in a safe manner.
Through the Ventura County Office of Emergency Service and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, free masks will be provided to farm and agriculture workers on the frontlines to assist in added protection, Williams said.
As California heads toward recovery, Ventura County has allowed low-risk retail stores along with child care facilities, office spaces, full-service car washes, pet grooming businesses, landscaping and gardening businesses, outdoor museums and open galleries to reopen. Businesses hoping to reopen can register to do so on the county’s website and must provide a COVID-19 response plan.
On Friday, the county public health department issued a guidance for dental businesses, indicating that dentists can provide care that was previously postponed because of the pandemic, if it can no longer wait and will likely lead to an emergency if untreated.
Certain conditions must be met at dental offices, including having a two-week supply of personal protective equipment for all staff. And, all patients and staff must have their temperature taken and screened for symptoms of COVID-19 before entering the dental facility.
On Wednesday, County Executive Mike Powers said businesses that fall under the next phase of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s road to recovery, including dine-in restaurants, can start getting ready to reopen, but that high benchmarks need to be met before they are allowed to do so.