Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected today to provide more details of what’s required in his plan to reopen California’s economy reaches restaurant dining rooms that have been shuttered since mid-March.
Struggling California restaurants are awaiting word on when they can reopen, and many are preparing to provide new safety measures to protect against coronavirus.
Restaurant owners already have employees wearing masks and they’ve removed tables, anticipating that physical distancing requirements will slash their capacity.
Once they do reopen, the changes meant to act as safeguards against COVID-19 are expected to be very different from what people might be used to, according to a draft of recommendations from the California Restaurant Association.
Per the recommendations, only family members or people who live together would sit at the same table. Buffets, salad bars and shared bread baskets would be out. Salt and pepper shakers could be replaced by bottles of hand sanitizer. And meals could arrive from food servers sheathed in face masks.
The restaurant industry has taken a major hit since the stay-at-home order went into effect about two months ago. Some restaurants across the state have offered takeout and delivery services, while others temporarily closed.
In other cases, some restaurants have permanently closed.
“We’re all kind of just grinning and bearing through it, but I really think it has hit the restaurant industry the hardest just because everyone loves to go out to go eat, and the restaurant workers are the backbone of that entertainment industry and the restaurant industry,” Pastry chef Jessenia Hernandez said.
Meanwhile, the state is also working on developing guidelines that will allow office buildings, shopping malls and outdoor museums to reopen next.
On Monday, leaders of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado have signed a joint letter requesting $1 trillion in aid from the federal government.
California moved into Phase 2 of reopening Friday amid the coronavirus crisis, but Gov. Gavin Newsom hinted the Phase 3 could be just on the horizon.
“Phase 3 is not a year away. It’s not 6 months away. It’s not even three months away. It may not even be more than a month away,” Newsom said. “We just want to make sure we have a protocol in place to secure customer safety, employee safety and allow the businesses to thrive in a way that is sustainable.”
Stage 3 of reopening California involves reopening higher risk workplaces that necessitate close proximity between people. That includes hair salons, nail salons, barbershops, gyms, movie theaters and sporting events without live audiences.
He encouraged Californians to shop local as much as possible.
“Look out for your neighborhood florist. Look out for your neighborhood business. They need your support and they haven’t gotten the kind of support they deserve. You will be determinative of whether or not they survive,” he said. “So if it means you gotta go an extra block or two, seek them out, find them, make some calls … don’t just go to that big box retailer. They’ve had a little advantage on things like this and it’s time to re-balance things.”