On March 16, Channel Islands National Park, which comprises Santa Cruz, Anacapa, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara Island, announced new operational guidelines in order to maximize social distancing and implement recommendations of public health authorities. The islands, according to a press release, remain “open to public visitation” but only for those with private vessels.
Island Packers, which ferries passengers back and forth between the islands and the mainland, has announced a two-week freeze on its operations, effective immediately. The Channel Islands visitors center, located in Ventura Harbor, is also closed.
The press release stated that “The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Channel Islands National Park is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with the federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels.”