June 12 a big day on the road map to reopening for South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The State of California issued guidelines on Friday for 12 business sectors that can open in some counties on June 12, 2020. Counites that have approved attestations like El Dorado County can open those sectors once they have developed and implemented their safety plans on June 12.

Schools, day camps, casinos run by sovereign tribal nations, music, TV and film production, professional sports without live audiences, restaurants and bars, gyms, museums and galleries, and, important to South Lake Tahoe, hotels, vacation rentals and campgrounds, will all be able to reopen on June 12 at the earliest as long as those plans are in place.

“It’s important to note two things about these guidelines: first, they are effective a week from today, which allows businesses to develop and implement thoughtful safety plans which reflect the State guidelines; second, it’s imperative that businesses carefully read the guidelines as they contain specific caveats to opening, such as playgroups and meeting rooms remaining closed at campgrounds and outdoor recreation areas," said the El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams on Friday.

If the state has not yet released guidance for a sector, then that sector cannot yet be reopened.

Also on June 5, a joint letter from El Dorado County government, the mayors of South Lake Tahoe and Placerville, and health care leaders was sent to Governor Newsom, requesting he make adjustments to the State's Stay At Home order and in relation to tourism-based guidance to allow more of the County's businesses to reopen safely and responsibly.

“El Dorado County residents have made significant sacrifices to ensure the level of COVID-19 remains low,” said Board Chair Brian Veerkamp. “Coupled with the fact that a preponderance of businesses throughout the County is reliant upon tourism, we believe it is both possible and important that we be able to open more widely in a safe, reasonable manner.”

The COVID-19 virus is not gone and as a county and city, the case levels have not gone down, but the overall safety protocols and testing have become widespread and the public knows how to keep it at bay: stay at least six feet away from others outside your household, stay away from sick people, wash your hands frequently and sanitize commonly-used areas. Personal responsibility will determine whether El Dorado County moves forward, or backward as lives get back to normal said Williams.

“I am pleased that the businesses in these sectors which have been closed since March can reopen and people can begin to rebuild their livelihoods, yet I would be remiss if I didn’t caution owners, employees, patrons and residents in general that now is the time to be even more disciplined about maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene practices," added Dr. Williams.

The guidelines for employees and cleaning procedures for the 12 sectors able to reopen on June 12 at the earliest can be found here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR20-113.aspx.