This week Yolo County will begin allowing additional activities to resume operations including non-essential offices, non-essential retail in-store shopping, dine-in restaurants, hair salons and barbershops, and places of worship. Yolo County’s attestation was recently approved on May 20 by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) which allows the County to move further into Stage 2. Face coverings are still mandatory in Yolo County for the public and businesses as it is a separate health order in effect until further notice.
Though some activities were approved last week by the State of California, Yolo County delayed reopening to ensure that the proper guidance and guidelines were in place and businesses had time to prepare. The following activities are allowed to resume on the specified dates below as long as they 1) follow State and/or County guidelines, 2) adhere to the County’s face covering order; 3) comply with strict social distancing protocols:
- Effective May 27:
- Non-essential offices (telework strongly encouraged)
- Non-essential retail for in-store shopping. Including shopping centers.
- Dine-in restaurants
- Effective May 28:
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Effective May 29:
- Places of worship (remote services strongly encouraged)
Some key measures to note in the State’s guidance for dine-in restaurants include, but are not limited to: removing tables and chairs from dining areas so that six feet of physical distance can be maintained, closing bar areas, adjusting maximum occupancy rules, encouraging reservations, performing thorough, frequent cleaning, and installing hand sanitizer dispensers at entrances and contact areas.
Resources regarding re-opening requirements, including state guidelines, plan templates, infographics, and flyers, are available for businesses, offices and restaurants at: www.yolocounty.org/business-toolkit. Guidelines for other permitted activities may be located on the County webpage at www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-roadmap.
“The Board today weighed the progress we’ve made in terms of community health and safe practices and conveyed our support for re-opening these activities to the public health officer,” said Yolo County Board Chair Gary Sandy. “This move underscores the importance of restoring the local economy in a way that safeguards existing COVID-related health protocols such as social distancing, masks and frequent hand washing.”
As these activities reopen, the public is responsible for adhering to the rules or guidelines that are set by these entities as well as practicing social distancing and wearing a face covering. Everyone has a role to play in keeping our communities safe and healthy. Older adults and individuals with underlying medical conditions should continue to stay at home as much as possible except for accessing essential services and activities.
While the State Order is in effect, counties are prohibited from reopening businesses that have not been approved. Items not permitted in Stage 2 of the State’s Readiness Plan include: nail salons, gyms, libraries, public pools, playgrounds, nightclubs, concert venues, live audience sports, theme parks, hotels for leisure or tourism, higher education and others. Counties are permitted to be more restrictive, not less, than the State regarding the reopening of activities.
For additional or specific guidelines on permitted items, click on the hyperlinked business or activity at: www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-roadmap. Residents can also call Yolo 2-1-1 for resource information. For additional updates follow Yolo County on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/YoloCounty/ or Twitter at: https://twitter.com/YoloCountyCA.