Bay Area counties now acting independently in terms of shelter-in-place
Bay Area patchwork of reopening rules leaves many confused
The patchwork of rules for businesses reopening during the pandemic is leaving many business owners and their patrons confused.
PETALUMA, Calif. - California is re-opening for business, but how much depends on where you live.
A growing number of rural counties are allowed fairly unrestricted shopping and dining out.
Most urban counties are still largely locked down.
Six Bay Area counties that were unified when they launched shelter in place have since splintered off, operating independently.
The patchwork and the pace of change can be confusing.
"We really don't know when it's going to happen, we have no idea, we're just trying to be ready," said Nancy Dibble, co-owner of Solo Hair Design in downtown Petaluma.
Sonoma County has some rules easing as of midnight Friday.
But Dibble bemoans the fact that residents will be able to get their car washed and dog groomed, but not their own hair.
"We have clients who are constantly calling us, asking if we have any idea when they can get a haircut ?"
Hair and nail salons, like aestheticians and tattoo parlors, are in the state's third phase of reopening, because of their close personal contact.
Table dining, enclosed malls, fitness centers, and wineries are also held back by state standards that require certain metrics on active COVID-19 cases, deaths, testing and hospital space.
"I think it should be looked at county by county and those that are low should be able to open," said Dibble.
"We're not the same as some counties with lots and lot of cases, we're a different animal than Southern California."
As of Thursday evening, Sonoma County had 4 deaths and 351 cases, with 200 of those patients recovered.
County leaders hear the frustration among those who fear business failure.
"It's hard for people because it's so fluid, every day something new comes out," said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt.
More than 30 counties, including Sonoma, are asking for a state variance- a waiver to accelerate deeper into phase 2 changes.
"We don't want to go rogue and we don't want to open the floodgates but we want to do all we can to make sure that our businesses are successful," said Rabbitt.
So far, 19 counties have re-opened commerce after demonstrating containment.
They must show a minimal rate of spread and have a two week period without a death.
That is easier for small-population counties than large, and critics say more flexibility is needed.
"Really a risk assessment, instead of a prohibition, is the better approach, " said Rabbitt, "and at the end of the day it's going to be about our behaviors more than any orders."
Governor Newsom admits the inconsistent landscape makes some jurisdictions a lure.
"You open up a dense urban environment right next door to a community that's not opened, and people start rushing in and then going back to their community," Newsom warned in his briefing Wednesday.
For business owners, even those deemed essential, a more robust opening will benefit all.
"Small businesses survive on add-ons, so you may come in for a pot or frying pan, but would do you add to go with it," said Angela Leoni, co-owner of i Leoni, a kitchen and gift store in Petaluma.
The longtime shop, started by two sisters, was able to stay open the past two months, but had almost no customers because the downtown district was deserted.
Now, other merchants are allowed to re-open, but for outdoor transactions only, which means they forfeit the sales that would come from a customer browsing.
"A clothing store could allow one or two people in and still do social distancing and have that opportunity, " said Nancy Leoni, "so when can someone just come in safely?"
Its a key question for local and state leaders, as businesses make all the changes they can for the COVID-19 era.
At Solo Hair Design, that means addition of a sanitizing station, removal of some salon chairs, and swapping blow dryers out for heat lamps.
"We're really working on it, and my partner and I took advanced sanitization classes during this time off, so we're ready!," said Dibble.
For Rabbitt, who is networking with the business community, its survival is at stake.
"I think we need to continually question how the benchmarks, the criteria that have been set, need to change, and they will."