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Tools and resources to help businesses reopen responsibly.

4 stages of reopening

In support of our business community, Placer County is providing the following information from the State of California.

California’s Four-Stage Plan


Stage 1 – Safety and Preparedness


Continue to build out testing, contact tracing, PPE, and hospital surge capacity.

Continue to make essential workplaces as safe as possible:

  • Physical and work flow adaptation
  • Essential workforce safety net
  • Make PPE more widely available
  • Individual behavior changes

Stay at home except for essential and permitted activities

Prepare sector-by-sector safety guidelines for expanded workforce.

Stage 2 – Lower-Risk Workplaces


Gradually opening some lower-risk workplaces with adaptations at a pace designed to protect public health and safety, starting with:

  • Retail
  • Manufacturing
  • Offices (when telework not possible)
  • Outdoor Museums
  • Limited Personal Services

Limit time outside the home and travel only for permissible activities, such as healthcare, food, outdoor exercise and recreation (individuals and households only). Stage 1 and 2 work, and local shopping or other activities related to open sectors.

Some counties may move more quickly through stage 2, following guidelines laid out on the county variance page.

Other counties may maintain more restrictive public health measures.

Monitor critical indicators and alter scope of reopening if necessary to protect public health and safety.

Stage 3 – Higher-risk Workplaces 


Phase in higher-risk workplaces at a pace designed to protect public health and safety, beginning with limited personal care and recreational venues (with workplace modifications).

Travel for permissible activities, such as healthcare, food, stages 1-3 work, and local or activities shopping related to open sectors.

Monitor critical indicators and alter scope of reopening if necessary to protect public health and safety.

Stage 4 – End of Stay Home Order 


Gradually open larger gathering venues at a pace consistent with public health and safety, such as nightclubs, concert venues, and live audience sports.

Gradually resume remaining activities and travel.

Monitor critical indicators and alter scope of reopening if necessary to protect public health and safety.



Current Stage



Placer County is now in later Stage 2. Below are guidelines and checklists for businesses to follow if they are permitted to open. 

Review the guidance that is relevant to your workplace, prepare a plan based on the guidance for your industry, and put it into action. 

When complete, you can post the industry-specific checklist (below) in your workplace to show your customers and your employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.

Before reopening, all facilities must:

  1. Perform a detailed risk assessment and implement a site-specific protection plan (see an example plan here)
  2. Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19, including how to screen themselves for symptoms and stay home if they have them
  3. Implement individual control measures and screenings
  4. Implement disinfecting protocols
  5. Implement physical distancing guidelines

It is critical that employees needing to self-isolate because of COVID-19 are encouraged to stay at home, with sick leave policies to support that, to prevent further infection in your workplace. See additional information on government programs supporting sick leave and worker’s compensation for COVID-19.

The guidance for the agriculture and livestock industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the agriculture and livestock industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


The guidance for the automobile dealerships and rental operators industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the automobile dealerships and rental operators industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


All childcare facilities can open with necessary modifications. The guidance for childcare industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers.


The guidance for the communications infrastructure industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the communications infrastructure industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for the construction industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the construction industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


The guidance for the delivery services industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the delivery services industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for dine-in restaurants provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for dine-in restaurants in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


The guidance for the energy and utilities industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the energy and utilities industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


The guidance for facilities that process or pack meat, dairy, or produce provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for facilities that process or pack meat, dairy or produce in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for hair salons and barbershops provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers.


This guidance for the hotels and lodging provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Under the current statewide Stay-at-Home order, hotels should only open for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measures, treatment measures, providing accommodation for essential workers, or providing housing solutions, including measures to protect homeless populations. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for hotels and lodging in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


The guidance for the life sciences industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the life sciences industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for limited services provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers.

Faith-based counseling can reopen within the following parameters:

1. Counseling services are permissible in-person where the service cannot reasonably be practiced remotely;
2. Counseling services should adopt state guidance on Limited Services, where applicable;
3. This designation does not permit gatherings beyond counseling to members of a single household.

Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for limited services in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


The guidance for businesses operating in the logistics/warehousing industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the logistics/warehousing industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


The guidance for the manufacturing industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the manufacturing industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


The guidance for the mining and logging industries provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Under the current statewide Stay-at-Home order, office workspaces should only open for Stage One sectors, identified in the essential workforce list. Counties that are approved to move more quickly through stage 2, offices workspaces will be able to open. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the mining and logging industries in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business. 


This guidance for office workspaces provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Faith-based office workspaces can reopen within the following parameters:

- Faith-based facilities are considered “offices” only for those employed by the organization and where the facility is their regular place of work.
- The employer should implement state guidance relating to offices before reopening the facility for employees;
- This designation does not permit gatherings of non-employees, such as the organization’s congregation.

Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for office workspaces in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for outdoor museums provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for outdoor museums in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for the places of worship provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers.


This guidance for public transit agencies provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for public transit agencies in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for businesses operating in the real estate industry provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the real estate industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for retailers provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Retailers, shopping malls, and libraries can re-open, along with the manufacturing and logistics sectors that support retail. Interior stores in shopping malls can do curbside pickup with modifications. Drive-in movie theaters can re-open with additional considerations.

Retail does not include personal services such as beauty salons, but does include the sale of goods such as:

-  Bookstores
-  Jewelry stores
-  Toy stores
-  Clothing and shoe stores
-  Home and furnishing stores
-  Sporting goods stores
-  Florists

Retail stores identified in the essential workforce list can open for in-store shopping. They include:

-  Retail facilities specializing in medical goods and supplies
-  Grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and other retail that sells food or beverage products, and animal/pet food
-  Fuel centers such as gas stations and truck stops
-  Hardware and building materials stores, consumer electronics, technology and appliances retail

Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for retail in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.


This guidance for shopping centers provides guidelines to create a safer environment for workers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for shopping centers in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.guidance for hair salons and barbershops