Press release from the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:

The Humboldt County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has reviewed more than 1,000 Reopening Plans since the online portal was launched May 13. Almost 850 plans have been certified.

  • Starting Friday, restaurants that have been certified by the EOC can reopen for dine-in services. Those restaurants not yet certified but interested in offering dine-in, whether indoors or outdoors, should submit a Reopening Plan to the EOC.
  • Reopening Plan applications for the Hair Salon and Barber Shop sector are now available online. This sector is not yet cleared to open locally, but these businesses may submit a plan any time, and certificates will be sent as soon as the sector can open for business. The state has excluded nail salons from this category, so those businesses cannot yet apply to reopen even as part of another certified facility.
  • Places of worship should follow state-issued guidance to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and are encouraged, but not required, to submit a Reopening Plan. The state is limiting attendance at places of worship to 25% of capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower.
  • View searchable lists of all businesses that have received certification here: humboldtgov.org/2770/Certified-Business-Lists. Not all certified businesses are choosing to reopen at this time and may prefer to offer partial services such as curbside pickup or delivery only. Please contact the business prior to your visit.

COVID-19 safety guidance for each business sector is provided by the state as part of a four-stage plan to reopen California’s economy. That plan changes on a near daily basis, and updated guidance often is issued without notification, requiring counties to incorporate changes on short notice. Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said the dynamic nature of this pandemic response requires jurisdictions to adapt quickly to changes made by the state.

“I appreciate that the state is allowing counties to set the pace of reopening certain businesses based on local data. Right now, the EOC is prioritizing the reopening of businesses and organizations that are associated with lower risk of virus transmission,” Dr. Frankovich said. “As these open, we will be monitoring our case counts, transmission rates, health care capacity and other factors to determine the best pace for moving forward.”

With retail openings beginning two weeks ago and restaurants starting to reopen tomorrow, Dr. Frankovich said, “It’s important that we use the strategy laid out early on, which is to ease restrictions gradually and monitor closely. This approach will help to keep our community safer, and additional sectors will be approved for reopening as quickly as safely possible.”

Visit humboldtgov.org/COVIDBusinessCompliance to submit a reopening plan. For the most recent information about COVID-19, visit CDC.gov or CDPH.ca.gov. For local information, visit humboldtgov.org, call 707-441-5000 or email covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us.