County officials over the weekend offered local businesses further clarity to the health officer’s March 17 stay-at-home order, which remains in effect at least until April 7 as an effort to stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 illness.
Specifically, the health officer’s order requires all bars, wineries, restaurants or other food facilities to follow the following social distancing and hygiene requirements if they want to stay open, according to county officials:
Dine-in Food Facilities
• All restaurants and retail food facilities are prohibited from serving food for consumption on premises both indoors and outdoors. ·
• Restaurants and retail food facilities may continue to operate for purposes of preparing and offering food to customers via delivery service, to be picked up or for drive-thru. ·
• Bars or wineries that have a food facility permit may remain open for purposes of continuing to prepare and offer food to customers via delivery service or to be picked up. Bars or wineries that are not authorized as a restaurant are not allowed to open. ·
• For food facilities offering food pick-up options or delivery, food facility operators are directed to establish social distancing practices for those patrons in the queue when ordering or during pick-up. Ensure social distancing of 6 feet per person for non-family members is maintained. For example, signs can be placed on floors by ordering and pick-up lanes to show customers the six-foot space required for social distancing.
Grocery Stores and Convenience stores
• Recommend monitoring customer capacity to provide for customer social distancing. This is especially important for wait lines such as check-out counter or ordering counter lines. ·
• It is recommended that no more than one (1) family member shop in the store. Children under 12 should remain home unless they are needed to assist the parent. ·
• Ensure that social distancing of six feet per person for non-family members is maintained. For example, signs can be placed on floors by check-out counter or ordering counter lines to show customers the six-foot space required for social distancing. ·
• Limit the number of customers at any given time as necessary to reduce outdoor/indoor crowding and lines to meet social distancing guidance. ·
• Stores that have online ordering with outside pick-up or delivery options should encourage use of these when possible in lieu of indoor shopping. ·
• Grocery stores with on-site consumption areas may not provide any dine-in options, either indoors or outdoors and must adhere to the guidance listed above. ·
• Grocery stores and Convenience stores that offer self-service of unpackaged food (e.g. nachos, salad bar) are to discontinue allowing customer self-service.
Cafeterias, commissaries, and restaurants located within hospitals, nursing homes, or similar facilities are exempt; however, these locations should ensure that appropriate social distancing requirements can be met (6 feet from other customers) for onsite consumption.
