Placer, Nevada join list of California counties approved for many business reopenings

Moving quickly Tuesday afternoon, the governor’s office announced it is giving the go-ahead now to seven counties to reopen some businesses, including Placer County, the largest and most urban county in the state so far to get the green light.

Placer officials said the move appears to allow the region’s largest shopping mall, The Galleria at Roseville, to reopen. The Galleria owner, Westfield Corp., however, could not be reached immediately for comment about when and how it might make that move.

Also getting the go-ahead late Tuesday were Amador, Shasta, Nevada and Lassen counties, all small northern California areas where the coronavirus spread has been limited.

Earlier in the day, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s health officials announced that El Dorado County and Butte County as the first to be allowed to take advantage of his plan to allow regional variances in when counties can reopen some businesses.

Under that plan, Newsom said he will allow counties to reopen restaurants for interior-dining and well as stores for in-store shopping.

With roughly 390,000 residents, Placer is by far the largest county in the state to get approval to move into the next phase of reopening. All told, more than 1.1 million people live in the counties where portions of the economy are permitted to open.

Newsom announced his plan last week in an effort to allow areas whose economies are hard-hit but where coronavirus numbers are low to get a head start on reopening businesses.

The governor said 27 of the state’s 58 counties have been in contact with the state Department of Public Health, going over the steps they must take and the standards they must meet to be allowed to reopen businesses.

Placer officials said they were pleased to be in the position to reopen key parts of their economy.

“These businesses have been either shut down or hanging on by a thin margin,” said county board chair Bonnie Gore. “To generate more business for their employees, for themselves, that’s huge for our local economy.”

While moving into Phase 2 of the state’s staged reopening plan is “terrific,” Gore said she and other officials remain concerned about when the county might be able to reopen even more businesses, like nail and hair salons. She hopes the state will continue the county-by-county approach “instead of waiting until the Governor says we can all go into stage 3.”

“I’m pleased that we’re eligible to enter this new phase of reopening,” said Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson. “Our community has made progress in flattening the curve, and public health has made progress in building out our own infrastructure to support reopening. I have full confidence that our local businesses will protect the health of employees and customers by following the guidance for safely reopening.”

It may take some time for shopping venues to reopen, based on logistics alone. The state on Tuesday published an 11-page set of safety guidelines for shopping mall and shopping center operators to implement for reopening, including limiting the number of people in a store and establishing queuing systems to keep shoppers six feet apart.

“Shopping center operators, retail tenants, and vendors should collaborate to develop store entry queuing systems that do not disrupt foot traffic or violate physical distancing requirements,” the guidelines read. “Consider and encourage alternate entry to retail tenant facilities, including digital reservations for entry and pre-order guidelines.”

In Shasta County, which has not had a COVID-19 death in three weeks, businesses are eager.

“We’re ready to roll,” said Beth Tappan, chairwoman of the Redding Chamber of Commerce in Shasta County. “People are cautiously anxious to get going.”

She said she thinks most residents are prepared to return to the stores but a lot will depend on whatever restrictions are put in place, such as social distancing.

“Personally I would like to head to the mall and pick up a couple of things,” she said.

This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 4:54 PM.