Mendocino County’s revised public health order strengthens safety requirements

Mendocino County workers who come in close contact with clientele will need to wear more than a mask while on the job beginning Friday, one of several changes issued by the county’s public health officer Wednesday afternoon to the local shelter-in-place order.

Barbers, hairdressers and other employees who work on customers’ heads, faces or mouths will need to be equipped with masks and some other type of protective gear, such as a face shields or Plexiglas screens.

The restrictions also will apply to workers who remain within 6 feet of customers for a prolonged period of time, including cashiers and bartenders.

The response comes in light of a recent surge in COVID-19 cases locally and statewide, county officials said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.

Nine people in the county were in isolation due to the virus and another 76 people had previously tested positive for the respiratory disease but recovered as of Wednesday, county data showed.

The revised order goes into effect Friday at noon and lasts through Aug. 3.

The new order also requires restaurants and bars to restrict capacity to no more than the number of people who can be seated at one time while still maintaining social distancing between different groups. Outdoor dining is encouraged and all businesses that serve alcohol must serve their last drink before 8 p.m.

Work groups for employees that meet certain requirements, such as not being responsible for packaging or preparing food for public consumption, are still allowed to meet but will be reduced from 12 to six people.

A copy of the order can be located on the Mendocino County website.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.