Last week, we reported on California’s very limited Stage Two reopening, which was not really any sort of reopening. It was cosmetic at best. However, the Governor permitted counties to seek a “variance” that would allow them to permit broader business re-openings as part of Stage Two. The variance requirements are pretty stringent, and most counties cannot meet them. However, yesterday and today, several counties submitted variances attesting that they meet the requirements for broader reopening of their economies, and many businesses in those counties are now permitted to reopen immediately. The expanded Stage Two re-openings include shopping malls, dine-in restaurants, full-service car washes, pet grooming, tanning salons, offices, outdoor museums and open galleries. Hair salons, nail salons, gyms, and movie theaters are still are not permitted to reopen. The counties approved for expanded reopening are Placer County, El Dorado County, Butte County, Nevada County, Shasta County, Amador County, and Lassen County. Unfortunately, businesses in these counties did not get any advance notice of the date they would be allowed to reopen or the guidelines for reopening. The state has now published industry guidance for several industries including agriculture, auto dealerships, construction, delivery services, logistics, manufacturing, and others, notifying these industries of the required and recommended safety protocols they will need to follow in order to reopen. That guidance is available here. Additional guidance was published today for dine-in restaurants here and shopping centers here. Businesses with locations in the counties approved for advanced Stage Two reopening should review this guidance to ensure compliance.
