Six Bay Area counties, including Marin, and the city of Berkeley issued strict new shelter-at-home orders on Tuesday March 31, 2020 that includes a requirement that essential businesses create plans for how they will operate before Friday, April 3, 2020. They must complete, post and enact a social distancing protocol for each facility that remains open using a special template.

Among the measures each business must take:

Install signs at each public entrance telling employees and customers that they should not enter if they have a cough or fever, must maintain at least a six-foot distance from each other, use a cloth or tissue if they cough or sneeze and not to shake hands or have other physical contact.

List steps taken to protect employee health, including directing anyone who can work from home to do so, separate workspaces by at least six feet, increase frequency of increased cleaning and availability of soap, hand sanitizer and other supplies that are effective against COVID-19. Related Articles Newsom: Announcement coming ‘very, very shortly’ on reopening California theme parks Stream this: Roy Rogers, Word for Word, ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ California, Oregon governors lift restrictions for Pac-12 teams SMART approves new cuts amid improved savings outlook Streaming movies: ‘Devil All the Time’ is brilliant; ‘Antebellum’ is not

Explain what the business is doing to limit the number of customers in a store, including setting a maximum number of people who can be inside, posting an employee at the door to ensure the maximum number of people inside isn’t exceeded and setting limits on items that may generate crowding.

Enact rules to keep people at least six apart and explain how they will ensure it happens. Among the recommendations – provide markings on floors and sidewalks and separate order and delivery areas.

Prevent customers from self-serving food items, have staff hand out lids and food-bar items, prohibit customers from using bulk food bins or prohibit customers from bringing their own bags, mugs or other reusable items from home.

Increase sanitizing measures such as providing disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer and disinfecting all payment portals, pens and styluses after each use.

See the full order here. Scroll down to see and download the essential business protocol form here: