Business Guidelines

For questions about the Public Health Order, call the County’s COVID-19 Hotline at 916-875-2400 or visit saccounty.net/covid-19.

On June 15, California fully reopened and lift capacity restrictions for most businesses and activities as well as distancing requirements for the public.

• The Blueprint for a Safer Economy, including the county tier system, is longer be in effect.
• Large-scale events, or “mega events,” have additional guidance on vaccination verification and negative testing.

Find more information on requirements and recommendations for indoor and outdoor large-scale events, also known as “mega” events HERE.

It is critical that employees not feeling well stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace. See information on government programs supporting sick leave and worker’s compensation for COVID-19 here.

To protect your business, employees, and customers, businesses and employers should visit the CDC for information and guidelines about COVID-19. For information on protecting workers from COVID-19, refer to Cal/OSHA and their recently published interim safety and health guidance in the Cal/OSHA General Guidelines on Protecting Workers, available HERE.

Requirements for all industries

All industries must maintain compliance with California’s workplace standards, either the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) or the Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard. The ATD standard applies only to certain workplaces, such as hospitals and correctional facilities. All other industries must follow the COVID-19 Prevention ETS. Businesses must comply with these standards, which include current public health guidelines. Visit saferatwork.ca.gov to learn more about COVID-19 workplace requirements.

Vaccine Confidence in the Workplace Toolkit

By providing information about COVID-19 vaccination and building confidence among employees, employers can help increase vaccine uptake. Employees’ decision to get vaccinated can protect more than just their own health. If everyone at the workplace – from upper management, to frontline staff, contractors, or temporary workers – gets vaccinated, it will help protect staff, customers, and visitors. Learn more on how to build vaccine confidence in your workplace using this toolkit from the CDC.

Employer Vaccination Toolkit

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state’s Employer Vaccination Toolkit, which eases the process for employers to request a workplace clinic or local provider partner, making COVID-19 vaccines even more accessible. The toolkit provides employers with vaccine education materials, information on COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave and other guidance for employees, and an online form to request vaccination support.

Expanded Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Governor Gavin Newsom announced that workers who contract COVID-19 while on the job may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation.

Those eligible must have tested positive for COVID-19 or were diagnosed with COVID-19 and confirmed by a positive test within 14 days of performing labor or service at a place of work after March 19, 2020. More details HERE.

Executive order for food sector employers

The California Department of Industrial Relations has published the poster that employers in the food sector industry who are subject to Executive Order N-51-20 must post or distribute to their employees. The poster is available HERE and must be posted immediately. The National Restaurant Association has put together guidance on what you can do to protect your employees from coronavirus. Read more here.

Anyone 18 years old or older living in Sacramento County can now get tested for COVID-19 for free by completing the Online Screening for COVID-19 Testing created by Project Baseline. Following the completion of the online screening, an appointment will be scheduled for a drive-through appointment at CalExpo. To view other locations, see these Community Testing Sites.

Guidelines for the expansion of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) licensed footprint

ABC’s COVID-19 Temporary Catering Authorization authorizes on-sale privileges to a property that is adjacent to the licensed premises so long as the property is under the control of the licensee and in accordance with state and local health and safety directives. Learn more.

Licensees allowed to sell alcoholic beverages to be consumed on the licensed premises may now fully exercise those privileges in the same manner as they could prior to the COVID-19 crisis, subject to the various guidance from State and local health officials, such as social distancing, occupancy limits, personal protective equipment, outside, etc. Note, license types 40, 42, and 48 may now only serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises with meals. Learn more in the eighth notice issued by ABC here.

Restaurants that wish to expand their permitted alcohol sales may do so by filing both of the following forms:

• ABC Form 218 CV19 (Temporary Catering Authorization)
• ABC Form 253 Supplemental Diagram and the COVID Social Distancing Protocol Appendix

These forms need to be turned in to the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control at 2400 Del Paso Rd Ste 155, Sacramento, CA 95834. A check or money order of $100 will be accepted, no credit card payments. This must be done in person.

See ABC’s FAQ here and additional guidance by license type HERE.

Temporary Fee Relief Extension For August ABC Renewals

ABC announced that certain ABC licensees paying annual renewal fees have been given a 30-day grace period. The announcement comes after Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that will provide tax, regulatory, and licensing extensions for businesses. ABC’s announcement encompasses ABC licensees whose annual renewal payment is due by August 31^st.  Learn more here.

Alcoholic Beverages To-Go

As explained in the First Notice of Regulatory Relief (and related FAQs), under existing law licensees with on-sale privileges are prohibited from selling pre-poured or pre-mixed drinks prepared on the licensed premises for consumption off the licensed premises. As part of its regulatory relief, however, the Department has provided that such pre-poured or pre-mixed drinks may be prepared on the licensed premises for consumption off the licensed premises (“to-go” drinks) only in conjunction with bona fide meals prepared on the licensed premises or under an agreement with a meal provider.

Expanding Your Footprint 

Contact us for assistance to expand your outside dining, shopping and/or business footprint to accommodate COVID-19 related health standards.