By Editorial board and Henry Dubroff Tuesday, May 19th, 2020

The decision of how fast to reopen the regional economy presents difficult choices for our elected officials.

No where is it more complex than in Ventura County, where management of COVID-19 incidents has been commendable and so far the first steps toward opening have been reasonably well executed.

Moreover, Ventura County’s economy, which has labored to find a path to growth during the extended national recovery, could use a lift.

The county’s Board of Supervisors will weigh the decision to ask Gov. Gavin Newsom to remove some restrictions and create a path, for example, for the county to allow restaurants to operate at a diminished capacity.

Ventura County has a certification process for reopening businesses that will be a useful tool as more are allowed to move the wheels of commerce a bit faster.

It seems logical for the board to green light a request to the governor’s office to take the next step. Among other things, we’re convinced that Ventura County has the resources and capacity to take whatever action is necessary should the opening process lead to a sudden rise in cases.

Reopening will not be a straight path but it must begin sometime.