“Safer at Home” Moving to Stage Two, Phased Reopening

If anyone cares to count, today, May 15, is Day 55 and the beginning of California’s stay at home directives Week Nine. The Public Health Director’s latest statewide order (May 7) sets out “California’s path forward from the initial [March 19] ‘Stay-at-Home’ Order in California’s Pandemic Roadmap” in four phases:  Stage 1: safety and preparation; Stage 2: reopening of lower-risk workplaces and other spaces; Stage 3: reopening of higher-risk workplaces and other spaces; and Stage 4: finally an easing of final restrictions leading to the end of the stay at home order.

The May 7 order announces the gradual movement of the entire state from Stage l to Stage 2, with procedure for the state’s 58 counties to accelerate their transition. At our last count, 21 counties have announced such ability.  We also count 14 counties which have rescinded their local orders in order to follow just the statewide guidances: • Colusa, • Calaveras, • El Dorado, • Stanislaus, • Inyo, • Kern, • Kings, • Lake, •Nevada, • Placer, • Riverside, • San Benito, • San Bernardino, and • Tehama.

Nevertheless, the majority of counties and numerous major cities continue to have local orders in place, many with rules more restrictive than the state’s. To our knowledge, and as of May 15:

Thanks again to our legal assistant Daniska Coronado for this continuing compilation. There continues to be no other attempted comprehensive statewide listing readily available online.

As counties continue to rely on their particular data, we can be sure that requirements of varying strictness continue to change frequently, local jurisdiction-by-local jurisdiction.

See also:

• In the Know: Post-Pandemic Workplace Policies (May 14, 2020)
• Closed for Business, Sort of; City of Los Angeles Extends Its “Safer at Home” Posting Requirements  (May 6, 2020)
• The New Normal; Organizing or Post-Pandemic Workplace Revival (April 30, 2020)
• Are We Done Yet?; Workplace Return Planning (April 29, 2020)
• Thinking the Unthinkable; Workplace Return? (April 23, 2020)
• Keep It to Yourself; Essential Workers Must Cover Up and Stay Six Feet Apart (April 16, 2020)
• When the Show Must Go On; Key Protection for an Employee’s COVID-19 Diagnosis/ Symptoms (April 8, 2020)

For more information about these laws or other employment issues related to coronavirus, contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

Tim Bowles

Daniska Coronado

May 15, 2020