What's allowed, not allowed in restaurants, stores

Restaurants and stores in San Diego County can now open to serve customers in person; however, they must follow specific guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Guidelines for dine-in restaurants require temperature and symptom screening for employees daily. Employees with symptoms are not allowed to work.

All tables need to be 6 feet apart or have barriers separating them. Signs need to be posted reminding customers to social distance.

Employees must wear facial coverings. Customers must wear facial coverings except when seated. No self-service such as buffets, salad bars, soda machines, etc.

Restaurants should encourage reservations and expand outdoor seating.

Before reopening, food businesses must fill and post the county restaurant operating protocol. Additional guidance, posters and information for a safe reopening can be found on the http://coronavirus-sd.com page for restaurant operators website.

The county Department of Environmental Health continues conducting food safety status verifications to ensure compliance with the California Retail Food Code and provide guidance and education on the Health Officer Orders.

Retail shopping

Customers are allowed in stores, including malls, with the following requirements.

Shops must post signs saying no employees or customers with COVID-19 symptoms should enter. They must perform temperature and symptom screening for employees daily.

Employees and customers must wear facial coverings and limit number of customers to maintain 6 feet of distance.

Businesses that have not done so already need to complete a safe reopening plan, post it at their entrance and discuss with their employees. Retail businesses that have been providing curbside or front-door pickup and will now be allowing customers indoors must update their plan.

The public or employees should not enter any business if they have symptoms of COVID-19, which include cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell.

The plan was adopted because the county meets all the current readiness criteria and can safely move into an accelerated reopening.

As more places open to the public, it’s important for people to continue taking precautions to avoid getting and spreading COVID-19.

“Dining out and shopping must be done safely as crowded places increase the risk of exposure to COVID-19,” Wooten said. “People should continue wearing a face covering in public, maintain their distance from others, avoid touching their face and wash their hands frequently.”

While some San Diegans would like for more businesses to reopen and other activities to occur, the state has yet to allow the following to open: hotels, Airbnb, gyms, fitness centers, hair and nail salons, beach parking lots, sitting or lying down on the beach or religious services, except funerals performed with social distancing.