All Regional Stay At Home orders lifted, but restrictions still in place

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The Governor’s Office announced this morning, Monday, January 25, that the Regional Stay At Home orders are now lifted in all regions across the state. This means that retailers should return to operating under the Governor’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy that currently allows up to 25 percent capacity in stores in most counties.

The now revoked Regional Order limited capacity in retail facilities to 15 percent. However, nearly all counties in the state remain in “Widespread” status under the Governor’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy Order. The Blueprint was the plan the Governor put in place in the summer of 2020 to fight the spread of COVID-19, and it remains in effect.

Under the Blueprint Order, retail stores must limit capacity to 25 percent until cases of COVID fall more. This includes essential retail businesses such as car dealerships. Recent guidance from the state indicates that retailers should rely on their fire capacity to determine the number of people who may enter a store, and in most cases employees will not count against this capacity.

Hopefully the end of the Regional Order is a sign that California is at the beginning of the end of the pandemic, with restrictions slowly loosening as conditions improve. However, every business should remember that it is still under the Blueprint Order and local orders related to COVID-19 and will be for the foreseeable future. Today is a sign of improvement, not a sign that all restrictions are lifted. Significant liability still exists for businesses that fail to take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus.

If you have questions regarding your business’s COVID-19 prevention efforts, contact the attorneys of Scali Rasmussen today.