UPDATE MAY 21, 2020 – The state has approved the county’s request to move into phase 2B of reopening. This means that in-store shopping at retailers and dining in at restaurants can proceed providing that the businesses complete their safe reopening plans, follow the state and county sanitation protocols, and post the information publicly.
Links to county and state information for in-store retail businesses and restaurants:
- Retail – San Diego County Safe Reopening Plan
- Retail – San Diego County Social Distancing & Sanitation Protocol
- Retail – State Guidance and State Checklist
- Restaurants – San Diego County Safe Operating Protocol
- Restaurants – State Guidance
MAY 20, 2020 – As the County of San Diego awaits a response from the state on its plan to allow in-person dining and shopping, health officials want people to know that face coverings and physical distancing will be required when entering these businesses. In restaurants, the coverings will be needed until the customers are seated.
“As San Diegans prepare to eat out and go shopping, it’s important for people to remember they must wear a face covering when in public and close to other people,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “The County is enormously grateful for the public’s effort to date.”
When you wear a face covering, you protect those around you. When others use a face covering, they protect you. When you couple face coverings with physical distancing and good hand hygiene, the risk of getting COVID-19 diminishes.
Face coverings “disrupt the trajectory of a cough, sneeze or breath” preventing droplets carrying the virus from traveling between people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Two recent studies have estimated that between 12,000 and 15,000 local lives were saved because of the preventive measures.
“Had we not practiced physical distancing and respected the stay-at-home order, many thousands more individuals, including our elderly, would have died from COVID-19,” Wooten said.
According to the state, the following sectors, businesses, establishments, or activities are not permitted to operate in the State of California at this time:
- Personal services such as hair and nail salons, tattoo parlors, gyms and fitness studios
- Hospitality services, such as bars, wineries, tasting rooms and lounges
- Entertainment venues, such as movie theaters, gaming, gambling, and arcade venues, and pro sports, indoor museums and gallery spaces, zoos, and libraries
- Community centers, public pools, playgrounds, and picnic areas
- Religious services and cultural ceremonies
- Nightclubs
- Concert venues
- Live audience sports
- Festivals
- Theme parks
- Hotels/lodging for leisure and tourism
