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Laguna Beach City news City of Laguna Beach, California

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

Orange County Advances to Next Stage of Reopening Today

Restaurants Can Now Open for Indoor Dining at Limited Capacity

Today, Orange County moved into Red Tier 2 of the State's new reopening guidelines, meaning restaurantsgyms, churches, museums, and movie theatres may now resume indoor operations at limited capacity.

Indoor malls, barbershops and hair salons reopened last week at limited capacity, and now may open with greater capacity under Red Tier 2.

Most other retailers can continue operating, as long as they limit how many people are inside at one time. Maximum indoor capacities are dependent on business type and should be referenced in the Reopening Tier Guideline Chart and its corresponding capacity limits.

Some business closures from July remain, including the closure of bars and nightclubs.

Going forward, a county has to remain in a Tier for a minimum three weeks (21 days) before being considered to advance to the next Tier.

Additionally, the County Health Officer has issued related new Orders and Strong Recommendations, which also include seasonal flu vaccination for certain county residents and visitors.

Additional Guidelines for Indoor Dining at Restaurants

  • Indoor operations are restricted to 25% of the occupancy of the restaurant, or 100 persons, whichever is lower.
  • Restaurants must close every night by 10 p.m.
  • Physical distancing and hygiene measures are still applicable, so patrons must be seated far enough apart to maintain physical distancing; this may mean a business is not able to accommodate 25% occupancy indoors.
  • Bars within restaurants are still closed for dining. The bar can be used by employees for the preparation of beverages, but no patrons can sit at the bar and receive service. This includes seating at sushi bars.
  • Bars/ Breweries/ Distilleries that do not serve meals are still closed.
  • Wineries are allowed to be open for outdoor operations with modifications.

It is important that businesses, restaurants and the public pay attention to occupancy limits within each sector and corresponding color Tier, found at the link below.

How to Reopen Your Business or Facility Safely

Reopening Guidance Explained by Laguna Beach Police Captain Rachel Johnson

If your business is among those allowed to reopen some indoor operations under Red Tier 2, first, follow the Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening to help plan and prepare for reopening your business.

Wearing a mask or face covering is required statewide and in Laguna Beach in all public or common spaces. Employers must provide face coverings to workers, or must reimburse workers for the reasonable cost of obtaining them.

All Laguna Beach businesses and facilities must follow the items listed here before reopening indoors:

  • Find the specific State guidance for your industry, business, event, or activity and review it completely.
  • Perform a detailed risk assessment and create a worksite-specific protection plan.
  • Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes how to screen themselves for symptoms and when to stay home.
  • Set up individual control measures and screenings.
  • Put disinfection protocols in place.
  • Establish physical distancing guidelines.
  • Establish universal face covering requirements (with allowed exceptions). See CDPH guidelines (PDF).
  • Post your completed checklist in your place of business so everyone can know the steps you’ve taken. Feel free to add more safety measures to the ones included in your industry’s guidance.

"We will continue work in partnership with our local businesses to ensure they are operating within the guidelines outlined by the State for safe operations; we will contact those businesses who are not operating within the guidelines to work together toward a business model that keeps everyone safe," said Laguna Beach Police Capt. Rachel Johnson.

If you have a business and have questions about the reopening guidelines, please call Capt. Johnson at (949) 497-0345 or email her at rjohnson@lagunabeachcity.net

Orange County's "SafeDineOC" Restaurant Campaign provides a $1,000 grant per Orange County restaurant location for taking steps to create a COVID-safe environment for their customers and employees. Apply at: ocbc.org/safedineoc.

What is a Red Flag Warning?

A Red Flag Warning is a forecast warning issued by the National Weather Service to inform area firefighting and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire combustion and rapid spread.

During a Red Flag Warning, parking restrictions are implemented for the Diamond/Crestview neighborhoods. Any vehicles who are parked in marked parking spaces with a “red flag” painted in the center of the asphalt may be cited or towed.

In order to ensure you are contacted during a Red Flag Warning, please register with the Nixle Red Flag group by texting “LBRedFlag” to 888-777.

Power Outages Averted During Record Heatwave Thanks to Your Energy Conservation

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) announced that consumer conservation helped grid operators avoid rotating power outages over the weekend during a record California heatwave.

Southern California’s heatwave brought record-setting temperatures to the region when Woodland Hills—a neighborhood in Los Angeles—reached a record high 121 degrees this weekend.

The grid operator declared a Stage 2 Emergency this weekend when a transmission line from Oregon reduced capacity by 900 megawatts (MW) due to the heat. At the same time, generation totaling 260 megawatts (MW) tripped offline. Conservation helped grid operators overcome those challenges and avoid rotating power outages.

Reduced electricity use also prevented power interruptions for two days during a mid-August heatwave. Thank you for doing your part to conserve energy!

Today and Wednesday, all businesses adjacent to The Promenade on Forest are open while outdoor dining and retail decks are closed for renovation. Outdoor decks will reopen Thursday.

Thank you for your pledge to help Laguna Beach become the Nation's Most Waterwise City!

Winner's of the 2020 National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation will be announced in two weeks!

Winning Cities will be announced during the week of September 21, 2020.

This Laguna Beach City news update is texted and emailed to residents through the City's Nixle Emergency Notification System.

To sign up, text 92651 to 888-777.

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