Guidelines & Ordinance Information

Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms? Think you've been exposed? Contact your health care provider.

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Currently Enacted Ordinance: 20-029

In Effect Through February 16, 2021

Emergency Ordinance 20-029 (previously Ordinances 20-007 & 20-010 & 20-029) continues to be in effect. This ordinance outlines safety measures and requirements for the reopening of businesses with reduced occupancy capacities and COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Additional amendments made to the ordinance require an individual to wear a face covering in any indoor business and/or indoor public place and to wear a face covering at any City-sanctioned event unless social distancing of six or more feet can be maintained. Resolution 20-076 provides clarifications of the requirements and exceptions.

Specific Restrictions & Guidelines

All of us want life to return to normal as quickly as possible. However, we must proceed cautiously and with care. Normal may look a little bit different for now. Let's all do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Mask Mandate

All individuals are required to wear a mask in any indoor business and/or indoor public space if six (6) feet or more of social distancing isn’t possible. Exceptions are listed here.

Businesses & Organizations

All businesses and/or organizations must adhere to these guidelines and safety processes and practices based on the nature of services provided. These guidelines address the safety of the public and employees.

  1. Public Gathering Businesses
  2. Recreational Facilities
  3. Retail Facilities

Guidelines For:

Bars, Restaurants, Bowling Alleys, Movie Theaters, Other Public Gathering Businesses

  • Limit to 10 customers or 50% of the typical building occupancy capacity, whichever is greater.
  • Post reduced occupancy capacity in a conspicuous location on the exterior of the business/organization.
  • Post public signage instructing customers to stay home if not feeling well.
  • Post public signage indicating a regular cleaning and disinfecting schedule.
  • Mark specific customer seating as "not available due to social distancing guidelines" in theaters and similar businesses.
  • Clean and disinfect high-touch areas and seating between customers.
  • No self-service buffets or salad bars; menus must be disposable or regularly sanitized, and condiments must be sanitized between each customer.
  • Develop risk mitigation strategies for restrooms or other areas where social distancing requirements are likely to be compromised.
  • Limit groups to ten (10) or less and space them six (6) feet apart.
  • Screen employees for symptoms at the beginning of every shift.
  • Require employees to wear protective masks that cover mouth and nose and to stay home if sick.

How many people can you accommodate indoors at this time? Use our Business Capacity Calculator.  

City of Brookings Reopening Road Map

Current Phase: Moderate (Phase 3)

The City of Brookings COVID-19 Reopening Road Map is an incremental, multi-phase approach to get Brookings businesses/organizations back open and operational while addressing public safety guidelines to combat the spread of COVID-19. The Road Map provides a color-coded breakdown of a four-phase approach. Each phase is associated with a City ordinance that provides detail related to safety and preventative precautions, recommendations and restrictions. The details for each phase are being informed by economic and health data with combined input from national, state, and local health organizations and experts, community partners, professional organizations, and the public.

Risk Meter Phases - Moderate

  1. Current Phase 3
  2. Phase 4
  3. Phase 1
  4. Phase 2

Current Covid-19 - Phase 3 Moderate

SAFETY MEASURE
EMPLOYERS, BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS
INDIVIDUALS/RESIDENTS
Physical/Social Distancing/Prohibited Activities 

All businesses of public gathering and indoor public recreation and retail including, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, casinos, gyms, museums, bowling alleys, movie and other theaters, concert and music halls, salons, barbershops, spas, and other retail facilities must follow social distancing restrictions which are outlined in Ordinance 20-010 (Revised).

Limit to 10 customers or 50% of the typical building occupancy capacity, whichever is greater. Reduced occupancy capacity will be posted in a conspicuous location on the exterior of the business/organization.

Install a plexiglass, or similar divider where physically possible between the cashier and customer.

Develop risk mitigation strategies for restrooms or other areas where social distancing requirements are likely to be compromised.

Provide at least 6 feet of social distancing for customers/waiting customers or ask them to wait in their vehicles.

One-way shopping aisles will be provided and clearly marked.

Information related to Ordinance 20-010 (Revised) can be viewed by visiting: www.cityofbrookings.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7616

Staying at home, or current place of residence unless performing essential activities and/or if experiencing illness symptoms is recommended.

Limiting any public or private gathering of more than ten people is recommended.

Maintaining social distancing of at least six (6) feet from any other person per CDC guidelines, with the exception of family or household members, at all times and as much as reasonably possible is recommended.

Face Covering/Mask

Bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, movie theaters and other public gathering businesses, as well as salons, barbershops, spas and other retail facilities: Employees and staff will wear protective masks that cover mouth and nose.

All other businesses and organizations: Wearing of face coverings/masks by employees is required when in any indoor business and/or indoor public place and at any City-sanctioned event unless social distancing of six (6) feet or more can be maintained.

Wearing of a mask/face covering is required when in any indoor business and/or indoor public place and at any City-sanctioned event unless social distancing of six (6) feet or more can be maintained.

Hand Washing

Provide hand sanitizer locations which are readily available for public use.

Wash hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds as frequently as possible or use hand sanitizer. Cover coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands), and shall refrain from shaking hands.

Washing hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer as well as covering coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands), and refraining from shaking hands is recommended.
Disinfecting/Cleaning

Post publicly a regular cleaning and disinfecting schedule which is specific to each business.

Perform regular cleaning and disinfecting.

Regular cleaning/disinfecting of high-touch surfaces is recommended.

Illness Monitoring

Regularly performed temperature checks and symptom monitoring is recommended.

Employees/staff shall stay home if they are sick.

Regularly performed temperature checks and symptom monitoring is recommended.

Stay home if sick.

City of Brookings Thresholds

Moving Between Phases: How the City Determines the Current Phase

Movement between phases is dependent upon the activity of the virus and the success of our community in keeping positive case numbers low. To determine our current thresholds, the City of Brookings is following the World Health Organization (WHO) which considers three criteria when adjusting public health and social measures related to COVID-19:

  1. Epidemiology: Is the epidemic controlled?
  2. Health System Capacity: Is the health system able to cope with a resurgence of COVID-19 cases that may arise after adapting some measures?
  3. Public Health Surveillance: Is the public health surveillance system able to detect and manage the cases and their contacts, and identify a resurgence of cases?

Movement to a new phase will be based on these criteria. Given the dynamic nature of COVID-19, the criteria are subject to change as new information becomes available.  

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COVID-19 questions or concerns? Connect with us directly using Engage Brookings. Visit the website (www.EngageBrookings.com) or download the app on your mobile device.

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