More Businesses Receive Green Light to Reopen Friday

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After some two months of closure, another group of Sonoma County businesses considered low risk will be allowed to once again welcome customers on Friday.

Following new guidance issued this week by Governor Gavin Newsom, Sonoma County’s health officer on Thursday amended the county’s shelter in place order to allow more businesses to resume operations starting at 12:01AM Friday. These businesses include outdoor museums, galleries and gardens, cleaning services, car washes, pet groomers and dog walkers.

In addition, shopping malls, strip malls and retail outlets are permitted to open, if they can offer curbside pickup, delivery or shipping. Also permitted are childcare facilities which must follow strict safety protocols.

The Sonoma County Economic Development Board has put up a new website designed to help local businesses understand what they need to do to successfully reopen. That site can be accessed here.

Significantly the order does not yet permit any indoor spaces to open to the public, including restaurants, retail shops and shopping malls. And, the order specifically states that outdoor restaurants, cafes and bars, zoos, amusement parks, and indoor gallery and museum spaces must remain closed. Also not permitted are any businesses that bring people into close contact for personal services, including salons, barbershops, tattoo and piercing shops, and the like.

The order does allow non-essential office spaces to reopen, but only if teleworking is not possible, and doesn’t permit any current telework jobs to be transferred to an office environment.

As in the past, before resuming operations, all businesses must publish a plan for social distancing, face covering and hygiene that meets county requirements.