Santa Monica Clears Path for Safe Restaurant and Salon Reopening
May 29, 2020 3:47 PM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Today, Los Angeles County announced the reopening of salons and barber shops as well as restaurants for dining with safeguards in place. In tandem with this, Interim City Manager and Director of Emergency Services Lane Dilg signed a seventeenth supplement to Santa Monica’s declaration of a local emergency, aligning Santa Monica’s business reopenings to Los Angeles County and the State of California. Where the two conflict, the City will follow whichever guidance is stricter. This replaces the third supplement, which closed non-essential businesses at the beginning of the pandemic.
The seventeenth supplement continues to exempt trucks and other vehicles that deliver grocery items to grocery stores from limitations on delivery hours. The supplement is effective through June 30.
“We are committed to facilitating a safe reopening and need everyone’s commitment as we move forward. Please follow all public health guidelines as you venture out to get a haircut or to enjoy our prized local restaurants and retail,” said Interim City Manager Lane Dilg. “In the days and weeks to come, we look forward to working with our local business partners to roll out opportunities for new use of public and private outdoor space for safe, physically distanced dining experiences.”
Los Angeles County has issued a release indicating that it will soon issue an order permitting restaurants to reopen for in-person dining. This will enable restaurants that had outdoor dining permits prior to COVID-19 to now resume serving patrons on patios and outdoor areas. Curbside pickup zones for restaurants will continue through June 30. Restaurants and businesses on the Santa Monica Pier remain closed.
LA County business re-opening guidance including protocol checklists can be found at publichealth.lacounty.gov. Revised Health Officer Orders will soon also be posted to the County’s site. The City and local community partners have resources for businesses who are in the process of reopening. These tools can be found at santamonica.gov/economicrecovery.
Here are the protocols you can expect at hair salons, barbershops, and in-person restaurant dining:
Barbershops and hair salons
- Physical distancing measures will be in place.
- Employees and customers will be screened for symptoms, including cough and fever. Clients feeling unwell should reschedule their appointment.
- Everyone, including clients, must wear cloth face coverings while in the salon or barber shop and clients are encouraged to wear face coverings with earloops to ensure the face covering does not interfere with the hair service.
- Magazines, coffee and other amenities will not be available.
- Clients are encouraged to use credit cards and contactless payment systems. If electronic or card payment is not possible, customers should come with exact cash payment or check, if available.
- Stylists may only serve one client at a time.
Personal grooming that is still closed, or prohibited, at this time:
- Nail salons
- Spa services, including massage, facials and waxing
In-person dining in restaurants:
- Physical distancing measures will be in place.
- Employees and customers will be screened for symptoms, including cough and fever. Patrons feeling unwell should not eat at a restaurant.
- Outdoor seating and curbside pickup are prioritized.
- Reservations will be encouraged.
- Customers will be asked to wait for their table in their cars or outside the restaurant to prevent crowds from gathering.
- Diners must wear cloth face coverings when not eating.
- Bar areas will be closed.
- Occupancy capacity will be limited to 60% for the next three weeks.
Supporting the City’s commitment to accelerate economic recovery, City Council approved zoning changes earlier this month to expedite business recovery citywide. There are new caps on delivery charges that took effect May 26. It is now unlawful for a third-party food delivery service to charge a restaurant (a) a delivery fee that totals more than 15% of the purchase price of each online order or (b) any fee or fees other than a delivery fee for the use of its service greater than 5% of the purchase price of each online order.
For additional questions, call the City of Santa Monica’s hotline at (310) 458-8400. Sign up for emergency alerts by texting SMCOVID to 888-777 and regular email updates at santamonica.gov/newsletter.
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Media Contact
Constance Farrell
Communications & Public Information Manager
Constance.Farrell@santamonica.gov
Departments
More Information
https://www.santamonica.gov/Media/Default/COVID-19/17%20-%20Supplement%2017%20-%20Local%20Emergency%20-%20COVID%2019.pdf
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/guidances.htm