Reopening California: Here's everything allowed to open (and what we're still waiting on)

ByAlix Martichoux KGO logo

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

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SAN FRANCISCO -- California's stay-at-home order is continually being modified asvGov. Gavin Newsom allows for more sectors of the economy to reopen for business.

But these industries don't get a carte blanche. They have to follow a new set of health and safety guidelines if they want to operate during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Here's every sector that has been allowed to reopen so far - and some key industries still waiting for the green light:

Agriculture and livestock: One of the easier sectors to implement social distancing, agriculture work was never fully shut down since it's vital to the food chain. See the full list of modifications they've made in the name of safety here.

Car dealerships: Auto dealers and rental companies have also stayed open throughout the pandemic. Now they're operating pretty much as normal, but with extra disinfecting and social distancing measures like limiting test drives to one customer and an employee in the car. Full guidelines here.

Childcare facilities: At first, childcare facilities were only allowed to be open for the children of essential workers, with group sizes no larger than 10 staff and children. As they reopen to accept more children, Gov. Gavin Newsom said new social distancing guidelines are coming.

Communications and internet infrastructure: This is another essential sector where it's pretty easy to social distance. See the full guidelines here.

Construction: Since most construction work occurs outdoors and can be done with crews spread out, construction was one of the first industries allowed to resume work. More info here.

Delivery services: Rules for delivery workers recommend face coverings and cleaning vehicles between routes. See full guidelines here.

Drive-in movie theaters: Vehicles have to be spaced out by 6 feet and concessions should be ordered online or by phone when possible. Drive-in theaters are also discouraged from offering double features in order to avoid people leaving their cars during intermission. More guidance here.

Energy and utilities: The guidelines for utilities include making sure the power grid can accommodate the energy use that will be needed for air conditioning this summer, as well as expanding financial assistance for those who aren't able to pay bills. The major utilities companies in California all said they won't shut off power to those who can't pay during the pandemic. See guidelines here.

Food packing: The rules for meat, dairy and other food packing facilities in California require temperature checks for employees and adjusting production lines to increase physical distancing. See more here.

Hair salons and barbershops: These businesses are allowed to reopen in most, but not all California counties. Masks have to be worn for the entire service and appointments are recommended to avoid overcrowding the space. More rules here.

Hotels: Under the current stay-at-home order, hotels are only allowed to accept guests that are essential workers or homeless individuals for temporary housing. Guests have to be screened for symptoms upon arrival, housekeepers have to wear face coverings and there shouldn't be any shared amenities like ice machines or coffee makers. See more here.

Labs and research facilities: Hopefully these are the folks working on a vaccine for us all. Since laboratories are often sterile environments, they lend themselves well to new COVID-19 safety measures. Details here.

"Limited services": This is a catch-all category the state created that includes laundromats, auto repair, electricians, plumbers, pet grooming and dog walking. See what the state advises for safe operation here.

Logistics and warehouses: More rules about face coverings, lots of cleaning and staggering breaks to avoid crowding. Details here.

Manufacturing: This was another sector allowed to resume operations in the first phase of reopening, as long as they spread workers out, stagger use of equipment and follow the rest of the guidelines. See more here.

Mining and logging: These industries already have lots of health and safety procedures, and a few more were added in the COVID-19 era. Read more here.

Outdoor museums: Many counties allowed for outdoor museums and historic sites to reopen in mid-May. Many of them have added plexiglass barriers, floor markings to make sure people stay 6 feet apart and a lower maximum occupancy. They're also required to create a different path for entry and exit so people don't have to pass each other. See the full rules here.

Offices: Only certain office spaces, where workers aren't able to telework, are allowed to reopen. However, most offices are being asked to stay closed or severely limit the number of people in the office. See the new rules for offices here.

Places of worship: Churches and other places of worship can reopen for in-person religious services at 25% capacity or a maximum of 100 congregants, whichever number is smaller. Services should be held outdoors if possible. More rules here.

Ports: Ports remained open through the shelter-in-place order, as they're essential to the supply chain. Here are the rules they have to follow.

Public transit and rail: Most public transit systems have reduced service due to a decrease in demand, as well as to give crews more time to sanitize buses and trains. Some bus systems are capping the number of people allowed on board and many are requiring face masks to ride. More statewide rules here.

Real estate: The first several weeks of the pandemic forced the cancellation of open houses, but those are now allowed with appointments pretty much everywhere in the state. Properties that are being shown need to be properly disinfected and windows should be opened to ventilate the space. More guidelines here.

Restaurants: Restaurants were always allowed to stay open for takeout, and later were allowed to reopen in most parts of the state for dine-in service. Servers have to wear masks. Restaurants are also asked to offer disposable menus, pre-rolled cutlery and stop using shared condiments like salt shakers. More details here.

Retail: Retailers are allowed to curbside pickup everywhere in the state. In-store shopping is allowed in most counties. Stores need to limit capacity, create barriers between cashiers and customers, close bulk bins, discontinue sampling and more. Details here.

Shopping centers and malls: Indoor shopping malls were allowed to open later than other retailers because of the inability to do curbside pickup. They are being asked to turn off shared water fountains and disinfect high-touch surfaces like ATMs, as well as follow these other guidelines.