Dear East End Neighbors–

As you know, more cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus are being confirmed in the United States including cases contracted through community contact. No contracted case of COVID-19 in Ventura County has yet been confirmed, but it has been detected in other California communities, so our East End should be prepared if it surfaces in the Ojai Valley.

Consider the following suggestions to help you and our community avoid the virus:
Stay informed  Facts and news regarding the virus are evolving every day. While there are many reputable news sources online, here are links for the latest COVID-19 information for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) and for Ventura County (scroll down below the map).
Travel mindfully   Avoid travel to and contact with people returning from any areas identified by the CDC as posing higher risk of contagion. Our local boarding schools have restricted international travel over Spring Break to mitigate the risk of importing the virus back to the Valley. It is also possible that outbreaks in the U.S. may cause some domestic travel to become temporarily inadvisable.
Practice common sense prevention  Keep your hands clean and away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Sneeze or cough into a tissue or your elbow. Regularly clean counters, tables, sinks, door knobs and other shared surfaces. This will also help reduce the incidence of flu or the common cold.
Strengthen your immune system   Help your body fend off a virus, flu or cold by eating healthy food, exercising and getting a good night’s sleep.
Be considerate if you get sick      If you develop a fever, cough or other flu like symptoms, contact your doctor immediately and follow her/his direction including any directed testing and/or period of self isolation for you and possibly others in your household. EENA will work with local agencies to assist East End households during any directed period of isolation.

We look forward to our East End community working together in a good way to minimize any impact of the virus. As always, if you have any thoughts or questions feel free to be in touch with George Gaines at [email protected] or 847-962-8922.