San Rafael, CA – Indoor retail sales, including at auto dealerships, and personal cleaning services are allowed to proceed starting June 12 under the newest Marin County Public Health guidelines as long as certain restrictions are in place to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Taking a cautious approach to reopening the local economy, Marin County is continuing its efforts to move deeper into Phase 2 of reopenings under its shelter-in-place order. The reopening of indoor retail follows the June 5 green light for outdoor faith-based and cultural ceremonies, charter boats, dog parks, swimming pools, and a wider range of outdoor recreational businesses to proceed.
Indoor retail will be allowed if proprietors and store managers strictly limit patron assembly inside businesses and take all recommended public health precautions. This includes limiting occupancy to 50% capacity or less, upholding physical distancing and facial covering requirements, installing protective screens where maintaining 6 feet of distance is not possible, among other requirements. Previously, the only indoor retail businesses allowed to operate were those deemed essential business (such as grocery stores) or those conducting an essential governmental function.
Indoor cleaning services, such as housekeeping and janitorial services, will be allowed to operate with limitations and conditions. Some examples of the limitations and conditions include:
- Cleaning of residential properties must take place when the resident is not home;
- Commercial properties cannot have a tenant or member of the public present in the immediate office or space during cleaning, and;
- Cleaning and janitorial services shall follow all applicable state and federal guidelines, including the COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Limited Services and the safer cleaning methods set forth by the California Department of Public Health.
Further guidance for indoor cleaning services will be posted on MarinRecovers.com on Friday, June 12.
Businesses and organizations preparing to reopen must complete a Site-Specific Protection Plan (SPP) to define how a business will reopen in a safe and clean manner for patrons and employees. A SPP plan template is available on MarinRecovers.com to guide businesses through the planning process. The template combines state-level guidance published in the California State Resilience Roadmap and local Marin County public health policies, including the current shelter in place order and facial covering requirement.
An overview of business sector reopenings is available on MarinRecovers.com. Businesses and activities are allowed to proceed under the current shelter-in-place order through amendments to the allowable business and allowable activity appendices.
The Marin County Public Health staff is constantly monitoring public indicators of COVID-19 to inform future business reopening phases. As the State of California allows for higher-risk activities, Public Health works with industry leaders to develop reopening guidelines that consider the latest COVID-19 activity and special considerations for Marin’s more vulnerable populations.
More Information About Businesses Reopening:
The Marin County Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website remains the authority for local COVID-19 case data and medical information.