Sacramento County Allows Restaurants And Stores To Reopen, With New Guidelines On Face Coverings

Sacramento County residents should wear face coverings while inside public places, such as grocery stores and offices, if they cannot keep six feet distance from others, according to a new public-health order released on Friday. 

The latest directive also allows restaurants and shops to re-open for in-person dining for the first time in more than two months. 

But there will be requirements for customers, servers and kitchen staff, including face coverings, a limited number of diners, spaced tables and only eating with members of your household.

The new guidelines come as the California Department of Public Health has approved Sacramento to continue modifying the stay-at-home order as part of “Stage 2.”

The county’s existing order was scheduled to expire at midnight on Friday. The new order will remain in effect until the county rescinds it.

A variety of businesses are also allowed to resume operations as of Friday at noon, including pet groomers and retail shops. Public transportation is also permitted to fully reopen. 

The county stopped short of requiring people to wear a mask or face covering whenever they go outside their homes.

“Persons should wear face coverings when in public places, where social distancing of six feet or more can’t be achieved by persons of separate households,” the order reads, specifically citing grocery stores, work offices and shops.

The face-covering recommendation also applies to people who are outside and that cannot maintain a six-feet distance.

“Wearing a face covering is not required while engaging in outdoor recreation such as walking, hiking, bicycling, or running” unless people are within six-feet proximity, it reads.

Shopping malls are allowed to reopen under state guidelines. The Palladio in Folsom announced that its shops would resume “full service” on Friday.

“Over the coming days, Palladio will have a rolling opening with restaurants transitioning from take-out to dine-in, and for the first time many retailers will provide full in-store service,” a spokesperson for Palladio wrote in a press release.

Dozens of Sacramento restaurants have announced plans to reopen on Friday and over Memorial Day weekend. The county will require that they lower their capacity, and restaurant staff will be required to wear face coverings. Eateries should also use disposable menus and not accept cash.

The city of Sacramento also announced on Friday a fast-tracked process that could allow restaurants to expand outdoor seating to sidewalks and parking lots.

The program, which the city is calling “Farm To Fork Al Fresco,” launched a website for restaurateurs to apply to for permits.

“It’s time for us to reopen so our restaurants, small businesses and workers can get back to earning a living, but it’s important that we do so carefully so we don’t have a surge of infections and have to pull back,” Mayor Darrell Steinberg wrote in a statement.

A variety of other businesses and services can now resume operations as of Friday’s order. 

Dentists can now perform preventative care, plumbers and electricians can resume work, and child- and family-care facilities can reopen, all with restrictions.

The county also states that outdoor activities such as barbecues and pool parties cannot resume and are not allowed.

Officials had submitted an attestation to the state asking whether  resume, but with recommendations that 10 or fewer people could attend gatherings at homes if and that they keep physical distance, wear face coverings and not share items. The state removed that before approving the county for Stage 2.

Sacramento is one of 43 California counties to progress further into Stage 2 of modifying the stay-at-home order. 

Correction: This story originally reported that Sacramento County would allow non-household gatherings at homes. California denied the county’s submitted attestation to allow those gatherings. The story has been updated.