The California Department of Public Health released a series of guidelines for restaurants to resume dine-in seating on May 12.
The guidelines state that restaurants can allow the option of dining in so long as they offer delivery and take-out as an option if possible. Restaurants also need to clean and disinfect surfaces constantly and provide hand sanitizer to customers.
Restaurants also will need to be configured to ensure that people can stay at least six feet apart; people can sit together only if they are already living together or if they ask to be seated together. The guidelines encourage restaurants to prioritize seating outside and urge customers to wear masks. Customers will also be vetted for COVID-19 symptoms.
Also on May 12, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced that the state’s shelter-in-place order is being modified to allow for offices to reopen that are unable to allow employees to work remotely; malls also can reopen for curbside pickup only. Outdoor museums also are allowed to reopen.
However, he acknowledged that counties are not required to ease their shelter-in-place restrictions.
“We believe those local communities that have separate timelines should be afforded the capacity to advance those timelines,” Newsom said.
The California governor also announced on Twitter that the state has carried out more than 1 million tests.
“This is an important milestone but we still have work to do,” Newsom tweeted. “We must continue to ensure everyone has access to COVID-19 testing — regardless of their zip code.”
NEW: CA has conducted over 1,000,000 #COVID19 tests.
This is an important milestone but we still have work to do. We must continue to ensure everyone has access to COVID-19 testing — regardless of their zip code.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 12, 2020
There were 1,443 new COVID-19 cases and 77 deaths from the virus in California on May 12, bringing the state’s respective totals 69,382 and 2,847.
“This virus is still ubiquitous,” Newsom said.
