All parks located within the Channel Islands Harbor will be open to the public, the Ventura County Harbor Department announced.

Harbor Department Director Mark Sandoval said the move is consistent with an action made today by the County of Ventura. All County of Ventura-managed parks have been reopened, effective 5 p.m. today. The parks have been closed to support the health of community members during the COVID-19 response efforts. Playgrounds, tennis courts, community centers, campgrounds and golf courses will remain closed at this time.

“We are happy to return to some normalcy by reopening our green spaces at the Harbor,” Director Sandoval said. “We expect the public to continue to practice safe social distancing at the parks to ensure there isn’t any additional spread of COVID-19.”

With the reopening of Harbor parks, Sandoval said the Harbor Department will continue to work with the County Executive Office and County Health Department to determine when it should reopen the launch ramp and parking lots to Silver Strand, Hollywood, and Kiddie Beach, which remain closed as a precaution.

Editor’s Note: this story was published on April 17, 2020.