Ventura County officials issued a public health order Saturday afternoon extending the stay-well-at-home order to May 15, as well as allowing some restrictions on gatherings and non-essential business closures to be lifted.

The order is in effect beginning at 11:59 p.m. Saturday and continues through May 15.

Prior public health orders are set to expire Sunday. The new order allows for public gatherings of up to five people and some non-essential businesses which do not interact with the public to resume functions.

The public health order was issued to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in the county, which as of Saturday afternoon had 416 confirmed cases and 13 deaths.

Coronavirus:More than 400 cases so far in Ventura County; no new deaths Saturday

Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County's public health officer, said in a statement that county officials intend to take an incremental approach to reopening the county.

"The data is looking good, thanks to the diligence of our community members in following these orders, but we must be cautious in how we move forward," Levin said.

Restrictions changed in new order

The new order bans gatherings of six or more people who are not part of a single household. Gatherings are not allowed in public spaces such as parks, nor at private places such as a conference room or church sanctuary.

Some exceptions exist for the ban. People may attend gatherings inside a motor vehicle as long the event is outdoors; no more than five people are allowed in one vehicle; the vehicles are at least six feet apart and have their windows closed; and nobody exits the vehicle for the duration of the event.

Non-essential businesses can continue working as long as they meet certain conditions, such as not having any interactions with members of the public and restricting 10 or fewer people from being in a facility within a 24-hour period.

Non-essential businesses are required to practice social distancing when feasible.

All retailers and other non-essential storefronts that require interfacing with members of the public are required to remain closed as long as the public health order is in place.

Businesses deemed essential include grocery stores, pet supplies, household products, pharmacies, banks, hardware stores, laundromats, and more.

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Other allowances made in the new public health order including permitting people who purchased guns before March 20 to pick them up from retailers and allowing bike and car shops to perform sales in person with social distancing measures in place.

Golf courses are allowed to reopen with certain restrictions, including a ban on the use of motorized carts.

In addition to the modifications, the order continues several restrictions outlined in previous public health orders. The order requires residents to stay at home unless they work at an essential business or are conducting essential activities such as grocery shopping. Restaurants can only serve food for takeout and delivery orders. Finally, the order provides guidance to hospitals and long-term care facilities to mitigate the potential spread of the virus.

Prior public health orders

Ventura County issued its first public health order on March 17 when it asked residents age 75 and older to isolate at home. The county extended its restrictions to all residents to stay well at home starting March 20 after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered similar restrictions for the state.

On March 31, the county issued a third public health order expanding on its definition of non-essential businesses and imposing greater restrictions on those who violated the order.

The most recent public health order came into effect on April 10 and banned all public gatherings of two or more people with certain exceptions, such as allowing residents of the same household to perform essential travel together.

Individuals and businesses found to be in violation of the public health order may be deemed a public nuisance by law enforcement and could face legal consequences.

The order states public officials will reassess the situation in two weeks and make adjustments on lightening or tightening restrictions accordingly.

“We will scrutinize the data to see the impact these changes have on our rates of COVID-19," Levin said in his statement. "I don’t expect to see any new trends for about three or four weeks. If we find that we are losing ground, we’ll have to make adjustments."

Read the full public health order below:

Jeremy Childs is a breaking news and public safety reporter covering the night shift for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached by calling 805-437-0208 or emailing jeremy.childs@vcstar.com. You can also find him on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.