Coronavirus Update: Sacramento County Health Order Includes 'Social Distancing Protocol' For Businesses
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — There's new scrutiny for Sacramento County businesses and their coronavirus precautions.
Essential businesses are now required to fill out a three-page protocol form and post it at public entrances, showing the actions they are taking to follow the county's public health order.
"I think it is a bit more formal," Sacramento Natural Foods Coop spokesperson Jennifer Cliff said.
Sacramento Natural Foods Coop has 200 employees and has already created social distance lines outside their building, with workers assigned to limit the number of shoppers getting inside to 50 customers.
"That's kind of our magic number that we found allows that space," Cliff said.
The new county protocol form consists of a 30-point checklist, spelling out requirements for businesses to limit customers, post employees at the door, and place per-person limits on goods that sell out quickly to reduce crowds and lines.
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Sacramento county spokesperson Kim Nava says code Enforcement officers did begin responding to complaints this week, but only to educate businesses on how to follow orders.
"[The Social Distancing Protocol form] is not necessarily a signal that enforcement is coming," Nava said.
Small business owner Phuong Tran owns Fish Face Poke Bar.
She cut her employees by nearly half and installed a clear plastic guard at the front door to reduce exposure between customers and staff. The new county protocol form is no problem for her.
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"We've got sanitizer all over the restaurant, bleach water all over the restaurant," Tran said. "So it's nice to have it on paper and nice to know all the other businesses are doing the same."
The new public health order goes into place at midnight on April 7.
A county spokesperson said businesses would be granted a few days to have the form filled out, distributed, and posted.
