California campgrounds, hotels, gyms, bars and museums may reopen as soon as June 12 if their home counties can prove to the state that public health safety criteria have been met, according to new guidance issued by state health officials Friday.
California health officials also released new guidance on how schools will be allowed to reopen.
The schools guidance includes temperature and symptoms checks, social distancing of students and teachers, spacing desks at least 6 feet apart, cleaning procedures and the use of face coverings.
The guidance also allows music, television and film production and professional sports to resume as soon as June 12. Plans are subject to approval by county health officials. Cast, crew, athletes, coaching staff and other workers should abide by protocols agreed to by labor and management.
Many of the state’s guidelines for various sectors are similar. Tribal casinos, child care providers and day camps should conduct regular temperature and symptoms checks for workers and patrons, and disinfect commonly touched surfaces like doorknobs. Workers and patrons should keep at least 6 feet apart, use face coverings and wash their hands frequently.
Some guidelines, though, are tailored to specific industries. Child care centers, for instance, should place cots and mats for napping at least 6 feet apart.
Hotels should remove reusable items in guest rooms like magazines and local attractions guides, require housekeeping staff to clean rooms when guests are not present, and consider leaving rooms vacant for 24 to 72 hours after a guest has left.
In Wine Country, tasting rooms should discontinue the use of communal spit buckets and tours that combine people from different households in the same group.
Gyms should space out exercise equipment at least 6 feet apart and more for “high-exertion aerobic” equipment like treadmills — and suspend activities that can’t be done while social distancing, like pick-up basketball.
To facilitate safety measures at schools and child care centers, the state will distribute 47,000 no-touch thermometers, 2.4 million face shields for every teacher and child care provider, 14 million cloth face coverings to staff and students, 16 million disposable masks, 123,000 N95 masks for school health professionals and 143,000 gallons of hand sanitizer. The supplies will go to public schools, private schools and child care facilities.
Some Bay Area counties have already started moving forward with plans to reopen schools. Santa Clara County announced Thursday that schools will reopen in the fall, with public health and education officials developing protocols for how to proceed with in-person instruction and distance learning. San Francisco public schools are scheduled to reopen in August.
But many districts had been pushing for state guidelines on how to proceed.
“We’ve heard it loud and clear from educators and school districts across the state,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “We’re putting it out today and expecting school districts will spend the good number of next weeks preparing, having conversations with staff to make sure schools can open up in low-risk environments when they do choose to.”
Counties in general have reopened various sectors and facilities in a patchwork of local policies. Contra Costa County on Friday announced that starting at 5 p.m., it will reopen outdoor pools, outdoor dining, dog parks, outdoor religious services of up to 100 people, indoor religious services of up to 12 people, use of outdoor picnic spaces and overnight camping for people in the same household.
Starting Saturday, Sonoma County will permit in-store retail shopping, barbershops and hair salons to resume. There will be no limit to the number of diners allowed in restaurants at one time, provided that tables are 6 feet apart. Wineries, which have been allowed to host outdoor visitors for tastings, can begin letting people indoors, so long as they follow distancing protocols.
Also, some outdoor activities are being permitted, including floating the Russian River, a popular summertime activity for tens of thousands of people. Dog parks and certain outdoor pools will be reopened as well.
Starting Monday, Alameda County will allow “social bubble” gatherings of up to 12 people from different households, reopen libraries for curbside pickup and allow child care providers to provide care to all children, not just children of essential workers.