Another big Sacramento-area shopping mall reopens after coronavirus shutdown

Folsom Premium Outlets has become the latest Sacramento area shopping center to reopen after two months of shutdown to stem the spread of COVID-19.

“We’re open,” the sprawling outdoor mall announced on its website. “Welcome back.” Mall management said it would encourage store employees to wear masks and practice social distancing protocols.

The Folsom outlet center followed the region’s largest mall, the Galleria of Roseville, which opened Friday. Gov. Gavin Newsom has loosened his stay-at-home order in much of the state to allow malls to reopen and restaurants to allow customers back inside.

At Arden Fair, more than a dozen merchants are offering curbside pickup. But mall managers said they would wait until after Memorial Day to announce a reopening of the mall’s interior.

The shutdown of retailers, restaurants and many other businesses, credited with helping tame the coronavirus pandemic, has devastated the economy. California’s unemployment rate has jumped to 15.5 percent.

This story was originally published May 23, 2020 at 4:09 PM.