Industry guidance to reduce risk
Last updated September 18, 2020 at 5:56 PM
California has a Blueprint for a Safer Economy in the state with revised criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions on activities.
Every county in California is assigned to a tier based on its rate of new cases and positivity. Check your county’s tier status to see how businesses and activities can open.
Reopen your business or facility safely
Follow the Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening to help plan and prepare for reopening your business.
The playbook includes detailed information on:
- When and how an employer must report a COVID-19 positive employee.
- What is defined as an outbreak.
- Guidance for employers who may be considering whether to suspend operations due to COVID-19 spread in the workplace.
Wearing a mask or face covering is required statewide in public or common spaces. Employers must provide face coverings to workers, or must reimburse workers for the reasonable cost of obtaining them. Find all requirements and exceptions to these rules in the guidance on this page below.
All businesses and facilities must follow the items listed here before reopening:
- Scroll down this page to find the guidance for your industry, business, event, or activity.
- Review it completely.
- Perform a detailed risk assessment and create a worksite-specific protection plan.
- Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes how to screen themselves for symptoms and when to stay home.
- Set up individual control measures and screenings.
- Put disinfection protocols in place.
- Establish physical distancing guidelines.
- Establish universal face covering requirements (with allowed exceptions). See CDPH guidelines (PDF).
- Post your completed checklist so everyone can know the steps you’ve taken. Feel free to add more safety measures to the ones included in your industry’s guidance.
Employer policies and resources
It’s important that employees with COVID-19 know they should stay home. Your sick leave policies need to support that. Workers also need safe and reliable childcare options during the COVID-19 response. See information on:
- Government programs supporting COVID-19 sick leave and workers’ compensation
- Family friendly practices for employers (PDF)
- Support for working families (PDF)
- Find childcare
- CDPH guidance for the use of face coverings (PDF)
Industry guidance
See guidance in other languages
Follow this guidance for the agriculture and livestock industry 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.
Follow this guidance for the automobile dealerships and rental operators industry 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.
Follow this guidance for campgrounds, RV parks, and outdoor recreation to create a safer environment for workers and patrons.
Review the guidance and prepare a plan for your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple):
- Outdoor only with modifications
- Racetracks may resume training and competition without live audiences, subject to approval by county public health officers
Substantial (red):
- Outdoor only with modifications
- Racetracks may resume training and competition without live audiences, subject to approval by county public health officers
Moderate (orange)
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 25%
- Racetracks may resume training and competition without live audiences, subject to approval by county public health officers
Minimal (yellow)
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 50%
- Racetracks may resume training and competition without live audiences, subject to approval by county public health officers
Outdoor operations of cardrooms and satellite wagering facilities
- Follow this guidance for outdoor operations of cardrooms and satellite wagering facilities to support a safer environment for workers and patrons.
- Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for outdoor cardrooms and satellite wagering in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Cardrooms, satellite wagering facilities, and racetracks with onsite wagering
- Follow this guidance for cardrooms, racetracks, and satellite wagering to support a safer environment for workers and patrons.
- Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for cardrooms, racetracks, and satellite wagering in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Follow the guidance for the childcare industry to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for childcare in your facility to show employees and families that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for operation.
- Follow the guidance related to cohorts of children and youth.
- See the answers to frequently asked questions about cohorts and waivers for childcare providers.
- Follow the case and contact management guidance related to cohorts for childcare facilities.
A cohort is a stable group of no more than 14 children or youth and no more than two supervising adults in a supervised environment. The group stays together for all activities, including meals and recreation. And this group avoids contact with anyone not in their group.
Kids and adults in supervised care environments must be in groups as small as possible. Kids and supervising adults in one group must not physically interact with:
- kids and supervising adults in other groups
- other facility staff
- parents of kids in other groups
Practicing a cohort structure:
- decreases opportunities for exposure to or transmission of the virus
- facilitates more efficient contact tracing in the event of a positive case
- allows for targeted testing, quarantine, and isolation of a single group instead of an entire population of kids and supervising adults
The guidance related to cohorts of children and youth sets minimum guidelines for providing specialized, targeted support services, necessary in-person child supervision and limited instruction, and facilitation of distance learning in small group environments in ways that maintain the focus on health and safety to minimize transmission. This guidance enables schools to provide specialized services for students with disabilities and English learners, and in-person support for at-risk and high-need students.
- See the answers to frequently asked questions about cohort guidance in K-12 school settings.
- See the answers to frequently asked questions about cohorts and waivers for childcare providers.
- Follow the case and contact management guidance related to cohorts for childcare facilities.
Local educational agencies, nonprofits, or other authorized providers must follow the guidance for cohorts of children and youth in controlled, supervised and indoor environments. These environments include, but are not limited to, the following:
- public and private schools
- licensed and license-exempt childcare settings
- organized and supervised care environments, like “distance learning hubs”
- recreation programs
- before and after school programs
- youth groups
- day camps
Guidance and directives related to schools, childcare, day camps, and youth sports are not superseded by this guidance for cohorts of children and youth and still apply to those specified settings.
Follow this guidance for the communications infrastructure industry 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.
Follow this guidance for the construction industry 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.
Follow this guidance for day camps to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for day camps in your facility to show employees, campers, and families that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for operation. Follow the guidance related to cohorts of children and youth.
Follow this guidance for the delivery services industry 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.
Follow this guidance for the energy and utilities industry 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.
Follow this guidance for family friendly practices for employers to keep employees safe and be responsive to their needs in order to ensure continued productivity. As workplaces reopen, employees will require both child care supports and workplace flexibility. Work-life balance policies will become even more important and continued investment in family-friendly workplace policies by employers is critical.
Follow this guidance for facilities that process or pack meat, dairy, or produce 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.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple):
- Outdoor only with modifications
- Saunas and steam rooms must close
Substantial (red):
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 10%
Moderate (orange)
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 25%
- Indoor pools can open
Minimal (yellow)
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 50%
- Indoor pools can open
- Saunas, spas, and steam rooms can open
Follow this guidance for gyms and fitness centers, including yoga and dance studios, to create a safer environment for workers and patrons.
Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for gyms and fitness centers in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Follow this guidance for hair salons and barbershops to create a safer environment for workers and customers. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for hair salons in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple):
- Closed for indoor lectures and student gatherings
- Some courses conducted in certain indoor settings, like labs and studio arts, may be open
Substantial (red):
- Capacity for indoor lectures and student gatherings must be limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is less
- Some courses conducted in certain indoor settings, like labs and studio arts, may be open at regular capacity
- Conduct student activities virtually when possible
Moderate (orange):
- Capacity for indoor lectures and student gatherings must be limited to 50% or 200 people, whichever is less
- Some courses conducted in certain indoor settings, like labs and studio arts, may be open at regular capacity
- Conduct student activities virtually when possible
Minimal (yellow):
- Capacity for indoor lectures and student gatherings must be limited to 50%
- Some courses conducted in certain indoor settings, like labs and studio arts, may be open at regular capacity
- Conduct student activities virtually when possible
This interim guidance for institutions of higher education provides guidelines to help institutions and their communities plan and prepare to resume in-person instruction. It includes interim guidance for collegiate athletics to help plan for and prepare to resume training and competition. Review the guidance and prepare a plan to reduce the risk and support a safer environment for students, faculty, workers, and families.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple):
- Open with modifications
- Fitness centers can be open outdoors only with modifications
- Saunas and steam rooms must close
Substantial (red):
- Open with modifications
- Fitness centers can open to 10% capacity
Moderate (orange)
- Open with modifications
- Fitness centers can open to 25% capacity
- Indoor pools can open
Minimal (yellow)
- Open with modifications
- Fitness centers can open to 50% capacity
- Indoor pools can open
- Spa facilities can open
Hotels and lodging
- Follow this guidance for hotels and lodging to create a safer environment for workers and customers.
Hotels, lodging, and short term rentals
- Follow this guidance for hotels and short term rentals for tourism and individual travel to create a safer environment for workers and patrons.
Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for hotels, lodging, and short-term rentals in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Follow this guidance for the life sciences industry 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.
Follow this guidance for Limited Services to create a safer environment for workers and patrons. A limited service is one that generally does not require close contact. Examples include:
- Laundromats
- Dry cleaners
- Auto repair shops
- Car washes
- Landscapers
- Door-to-door services and sales
- Pet grooming
- Dog walking
This guidance also applies to:
- Residential and janitorial cleaning services
- HVAC services
- Appliance repair
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Mechanical tradespersons
- Handypersons
- General contractors
Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for Limited Services in your workplace to show clients and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
This guidance is not intended for:
- In-home healthcare, other in-home care, or assisted living
- Services that require close customer contact, including:
- Hair salons
- Barbershops
- Nail salons
- Massage parlors
- Estheticians
- Ear piercing
- Tattoo parlors
See guidance for hair salons and barbershops and guidance for personal care services.
Faith-based counseling can reopen within the following parameters:
- Counseling services are permissible in-person where the service cannot reasonably be practiced remotely;
- Counseling services should adopt state guidance on Limited Services, where applicable;
- This designation does not permit gatherings beyond counseling to members of a single household.
Follow this guidance for businesses operating in the logistics/warehousing industry 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.
Follow this guidance for the manufacturing industry 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.
Follow this guidance for the mining and logging industries to create a safer environment for workers.
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.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple)
- Movie theaters: Outdoor only with modifications
- Family entertainment centers: Outdoor only with modifications for activities like kart racing, mini golf, batting cages
Substantial (red)
- Movie theaters:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is less
- Family entertainment centers: Outdoor only with modifications for activities like kart racing, mini golf, batting cages
Moderate (orange)
- Movie theaters:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 50% or 200 people, whichever is less
- Family entertainment centers:
- Outdoor with modifications for activities like kart racing, mini golf, batting cages
- Indoor with modifications for naturally distanced activities, like bowling alleys and climbing walls
- Capacity must be limited to 25%
Minimal (yellow)
- Movie theaters:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 50%
- Family entertainment centers:
- Outdoor with modifications for activities like kart racing, mini golf, batting cages
- Indoor with modifications for naturally distanced activities, like bowling alleys and climbing walls
- Indoor with modifications for activities with increased risk of proximity and mixing, like arcade games, ice and roller skating, and indoor playgrounds
- Capacity must be limited to 50%
Follow this guidance for movie theaters and family entertainment centers, like bowling alleys, miniature golf, batting cages, and arcades, to create a safer environment for workers and patrons.
Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for movie theaters and family entertainment centers in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple): Outdoor only with modifications
Substantial (red)
- Indoor with modifications
- Indoor activities must be limited to 25% of capacity
Moderate (orange)
- Indoor with modifications
- Indoor activities must be limited to 50% of capacity
Minimal (yellow): Indoor with modifications
Outdoor museums, open air galleries, botanical gardens, and other outdoor exhibition spaces
- Follow this guidance for outdoor museums, open air galleries, botanical gardens, and other outdoor exhibition spaces to create a safer environment for workers and patrons. This guidance is not intended for zoos, amusement parks, or indoor gallery and museum spaces.
- 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.
Museums, galleries, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, and other similar spaces
- Follow this guidance for zoos, museums, galleries, botanical gardens, and aquariums to create a safer environment for workers and patrons.
- Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for zoos, museums, galleries, and aquariums in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Music, TV, and film production may resume, subject to approval by county public health officers.
To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Back office staff and management should follow the guidance for office workspaces.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple): Remote work
Substantial (red): Remote work
Moderate (orange): Indoor with modifications, encourage telework
Minimal (yellow): Indoor with modifications, encourage telework
Follow this guidance for office workspaces 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
Tier status:
Widespread (purple):
- Outdoor only with modifications
- Tattooing, piercing, and non-medical electrolysis must close
- Physician-ordered electrolysis may be performed indoors
Substantial (red): Indoor with modifications
Moderate (orange): Indoor with modifications
Minimal (yellow): Indoor with modifications
Personal care services provided indoors
- Follow this guidance for personal care services like nail salons, tattoo parlors, and body waxing to create a safer environment for workers and patrons. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for personal care services in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Personal care services provided outdoors
- Follow this guidance for personal care services provided outdoors to support an outdoor safe, clean environment for workers and patrons. This guidance applies to services that require touching a client’s face, like facials and waxing. This guidance also applies to esthetic services, skin care, nail services, and massage therapy. Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for personal care services provided outdoors at your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple): Outdoor only with modifications
Substantial (red)
- Indoor with modifications
- Indoor activities must be limited to 25% of capacity or 100 people, whichever is less
Moderate (orange)
- Indoor with modifications
- Indoor activities must be limited to 50% of capacity or 200 people, whichever is less
Minimal (yellow)
- Indoor with modifications
- Indoor activities must be limited to 50% of capacity
Follow this guidance for places of worship and providers of religious services and cultural ceremonies, like weddings and funerals, to create a safer environment for workers and visitors.
Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for places of worship and cultural ceremonies in your workplace to show workers and visitors that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Follow this guidance for the port industry to create a safer environment for workers.
Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for the port industry in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Professional sports may resume training and competition without live audiences, subject to approval by county public health officers. This guidance does not apply to semi-professional, amateur, or recreational sports.
To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, athletes, coaching staff, medical staff, broadcasting staff and others at sporting facilities or events should abide by COVID-19 protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Back office staff and management should follow the guidance for office workspaces.
Follow this guidance for public transit agencies to create a safer environment for workers and customers.
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.
Follow this guidance for businesses operating in the real estate industry 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.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple)
- Restaurants and wineries: Outdoor only with modifications
- Bars, breweries, and distilleries: Closed
Substantial (red)
- Restaurants:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is less
- Wineries: Outdoor only with modifications
- Bars, breweries, and distilleries: Closed
Moderate (orange)
- Restaurants:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 50% or 200 people, whichever is less
- Wineries:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is less
- Bars, breweries, and distilleries: Outdoor only with modifications
Minimal (yellow)
- Restaurants:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 50%
- Wineries:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 50% or 200 people, whichever is less
- Bars, breweries, and distilleries:
- Indoor with modifications
- Capacity must be limited to 50%
Take-out restaurants
- Follow this guidance for restaurants providing take-out, drive-through, and delivery to create a safer environment for workers and patrons.
- Review the guidance and prepare a plan for your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Outdoor dining
- Follow this guidance for restaurants providing outdoor dining, take-out, drive-through, and delivery to create a safer environment for workers and patrons.
- Review the guidance and prepare a plan for your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Restaurants, wineries, and bars
- Follow this guidance for restaurants, wineries, and bars to create a safer environment for workers and patrons.
- Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for restaurants, wineries, and bars in your workplace to show customers and employees that you’ve reduced the risk and are open for business.
Dine-in restaurants
- Follow this guidance for dine-in restaurants to create a safer environment for workers and customers.
- 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.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple)
- Open with modifications
- Retail capacity must be limited to 25%
- Grocery store capacity must be limited to 50%
Substantial (red)
- Open with modifications
- Retail capacity must be limited to 50%
Moderate (orange): Indoor with modifications
Minimal (yellow): Indoor with modifications
Follow this guidance for retailers to create a safer environment for workers and customers. 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.
Retailers and libraries can re-open, along with the manufacturing and logistics sectors that support retail.
Libraries should follow the guidance for retailers. The State Library has also released guidance for the re-opening of libraries for in-person services. See the State Library’s COVID-19 website for more information. Find resources for public libraries by the California Library Association and the State Library.
Drive-in and movie theaters can re-open with additional considerations. Check the guidance for movie theaters and family entertainment centers for details.
Retail doesn’t 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
Find information for your school district.
Follow this guidance for schools and school-based programs to create a safer environment for your students, families, and staff. This guidance applies to in-person learning and distance learning.
- Review the guidance, prepare a plan, and post the checklist for schools in your facility to show students, families, and staff that you’ve taken steps to mitigate COVID-19 spread.
- Check the answers to frequently asked questions about guidance for schools.
- Follow the guidance related to cohorts of children and youth.
- See the California Interscholastic Federation statement for information about seasonal sports.
Some schools may have reopened based on the COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Learning Framework for K-12 Schools. These schools should follow the guidance on school closure provided in that framework when determining whether to close due to COVID-19 spread.
Elementary education waiver:
- See the Waiver Process Overview for details.
- Local health officers will need to submit the Waiver Notice Form to CDPH.
- Schools seeking a waiver can use the template Waiver Letter and Cover Form.
Tier status:
Widespread (purple):
- Open with modifications
- Indoor capacity must be limited to 25% for shopping malls, destination shopping centers, and swap meets
- Closed common areas
- Closed food courts
Substantial (red):
- Open with modifications
- Indoor capacity must be limited to 50% for shopping malls, destination shopping centers, and swap meets
- Closed common areas
- Reduced capacity food courts (see restaurants)
Moderate (orange):
- Open with modifications
- Closed common areas
- Reduced capacity food courts (see restaurants)
Minimal (yellow):
- Open with modifications
- Reduced capacity food courts (see restaurants)
Follow this guidance for shopping centers, destination shopping centers, strip and outlet malls, and swap meets to create a safer environment for workers and customers.
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.
The support for working families guidance provides information to help you locate child care, find assistance to pay for child care, and connect you to additional supports for your family. As stay-at-home orders are lifted for additional industries to promote California’s economic recovery, the need for child care and other supports for working families increases.
Follow this guidance for youth sports programs, including school-based, club, and recreational programs. Review the guidance and prepare a plan to support a safe environment for players, coaches and trainers, families, spectators, event/program/facility managers, workers, and volunteers.
- Check the questions and answers about youth sports.
- Follow the guidance related to cohorts of children and youth.