California Moves Into Stage 2 Reopening with New Retail and Manufacturing Guidelines
Governor Gavin Newsom announces updated industry guidance allowing retail, manufacturing, and logistics sectors to reopen with safety modifications. Counties meeting specific health criteria can apply for a variance to accelerate their local reopening process.
California officially transitions into Stage 2 of its Resilience Roadmap, allowing lower-risk workplaces to gradually reopen with necessary safety modifications. Governor Gavin Newsom releases specific industry guidance for sectors such as retail, manufacturing, and logistics to help employers understand how to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. These updated protocols establish a safer environment for both workers and customers as the state takes its next step toward economic recovery.
The state's ability to enter this new phase comes directly from Californians successfully flattening the curve through the original stay-at-home order. Governor Newsom emphasizes that while the state is making progress, COVID-19 remains a threat until a vaccine or therapeutic is widely available. Therefore, businesses and individuals must actively change their daily behaviors to eliminate opportunities for the disease to spread in their communities.
To accommodate varying local conditions, the state offers a county variance mechanism that allows certain regions to move further into Stage 2 at a faster pace. Counties that formally attest to meeting specific readiness criteria and collaborate with the California Department of Public Health receive permission to open additional workplaces. This phased approach ensures that local health data continues to guide the gradual and safe restart of the economy across the state.