Lake and Mendocino counties reopen more businesses

Lake and Mendocino counties allowed for the reopening of many more kinds of businesses on Friday after receiving approval from state officials to ease coronavirus restrictions on higher-risk business sectors.

Lake and Mendocino are two of 51 California counties that had so far met state readiness criteria to move into the third stage of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-step reopening plan starting Friday, according to county officials. It’s now up to those counties’ individual health departments to decide how quickly to reopen additional industries while adhering to state guidelines.

The types of businesses that can reopen in Lake and Mendocino counties include: bars and wineries; hotels and vacation rentals, with restrictions in Mendocino County; campgrounds and RV parks, with restrictions in Mendocino County; gyms and fitness facilities; family entertainment centers; and museums, galleries and zoos.

In addition, day camps can restart in accordance with state guidelines, which include ensuring children remain in small and stable groups.

In Lake County, schools also can open as long as they follow the state’s interim guidance for schools released on June 5.

All businesses and services that reopen in both counties must follow state and local rules for hygiene, face coverings and social distancing.

Despite allowing for the broader reopening of the hospitality industry, the state has been “ambiguous” about whether residents are permitted to travel from one county to another for pleasure or on vacation under current shelter-in-place orders, according to Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace.

“The way we’re framing this is that we are opening these (hospitality) businesses and that people should follow the orders that they can, but no one is checking to see if (visitors) are coming from out of the area,” he said.

Mendocino County Supervisor Ted Williams said his county also won’t actively try to stop tourists.

“We expect it to happen at this point and are sort of opening the floodgate,” Williams said, noting that local businesses are required to file plans outlining how they are following local public health orders, including restrictions on hotel occupancy.

“I think that peer pressure is driving a lot of businesses to do the right thing,” he added.

Many nonmedical personal services, including nail salons, massage parlors and tattoo shops are not yet allowed to reopen under the counties’ revised health orders. But on Friday, state officials announced they will clear the way for most of those businesses to resume starting next Friday at the earliest.

The rollback of restrictions in Mendocino and Lake counties comes as new coronavirus cases in both areas have remained relatively stable compared to more heavily populated parts of the state.

As of Friday, Lake County reported 32 confirmed COVID-19 cases, four of which were still active. No residents have died from the disease since the pandemic began in mid-March.

Mendocino County reported 38 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday, six of which were still active. The county has also reported no deaths.

You can reach Staff Writer Ethan Varian at 707-521-5412 or ethan.varian@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ethanvarian