Breweries, wineries and distilleries will soon be allowed to operate outdoors across the state – even if they don’t serve food – in the latest loosening of California’s coronavirus trade restrictions.
Business as usual, however, will remain a distant concept, even in the milder category of the state’s four categories reopening plan.
In establishments located in municipalities that are in the purple or red bands, the two most rigid, customers will be required to make reservations and will be subject to a 90-minute limit, and consumption on site should stop until 8 pm, according to a new state health guidance that goes into effect on Saturday.
These companies may start to open indoors as their home counties progress, although capacity is limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is less, in the milder orange layer; and 50% or 200 people, whichever is smaller, in the less strict yellow layer.
Breweries, wineries and distilleries serving food will continue to be governed by the same rules applied to restaurants.
Despite the relaxation of restrictions for some establishments that serve alcoholic beverages, bars that do not serve food will remain completely closed in the purple and red layers.
However, they can reopen outdoors with modifications to the orange layer. From Saturday, the bars will be able to open in closed places in the counties of the yellow layer, with capacity limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is smaller.
While the new guidance paves the way for counties to offer additional reopenings, it remains to be seen whether local health officials will go as far as the state allows.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has yet to announce whether it will align its guidelines with those of the state.
Los Angeles County restaurants, gyms, museums and cinemas could reopen for indoor activities, according to a public health announcement made on Thursday.
The reopening will begin as soon as California reaches its goal of administering 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to residents in its most disadvantaged areas – which seems likely to happen on Friday.