Restaurant dining rooms will be able to reopen soon—if they meet certain criteria.
In an announcement on Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom said that restaurants, shopping malls and offices will soon be allowed to reopen in counties that meet state requirements for testing and reducing the number of coronavirus cases. Additionally, all businesses will be required to follow social distancing protocols and cleaning requirements.
Counties will be required to complete a risk assessment and develop plans to protect customers and employees from the virus before reopening. This includes training employees on preventing the spread of the virus, screenings employees, disinfectant measures and social distancing rules.
Newsom noted that the rules guidelines listed below will not override any stricter rules local counties have in place.
Restaurants
A document outlining “guidance for dine-in restaurants, brewpubs, craft distilleries, breweries, bars, pubs, and wineries to support a safe, clean environment for workers and customers” was released on the COVID-19 support website along with a checklist to help restaurant staff implement the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Some notable changes:
- Menus: must be disposable and available digitally where possible or disinfected between each use
- Presetting tables to be discontinued, with only the required supplies given when needed
- Takeaway containers must be filled by customers and only supplied upon request.
- Mints and other courtesy items may only be given upon request
Bars and pubs
Bars, brewpubs, craft distilleries, breweries, bars, pubs, and wineries should “remain closed until those establishments are allowed to resume modified or full operation unless they are offering sit-down, dine-in meals. Alcohol can only be sold in the same transaction as a meal,” the document states. Establishments that are authorized to sell alcohol but do not serve dine-in meals may contract a third-party vendor or must otherwise continue to sell via curbside pickup.
In all cases, businesses should encourage take out and delivery service wherever possible.
Shopping malls
In counties that have met requirements and have contained COVID-19 will be allowed to reopen Shopping centers with new health and safety protocols in place. Additionally, car washes and pet groomers will be allowed to open up with measures in place.
Offices
Newsom stated that those that cannot work from home if their counties allow it and as long as safety requirements are met and measures are in place.
Seven counties have already met the requirements as of Tuesday they are: Amador, Butte, El Dorado, Lassen, Nevada, Placer and Shasta counties. Meanwhile, Newsom noted that conditions in L.A. were still too serious to be considered at this point.
This reopening comes soon after a number of non-essential businesses were given the go-ahead to resume last week, marking the beginning of the phased reopening plan.