Covid Brewery Safety in Berkeley, California

In Berkeley and throughout the country, COVID-19 cases continue to escalate rapidly, straining hospitals and holding state "stay home" restrictions in place before intensive care units are issued.

In the area, the effect is broad: hospital intensive care units have only 3% of the remaining capacity. But in Berkeley alone, the effect of the staggering surge can be seen:

• In the last two months, there have been a thousand new cases - equivalent to the count of the previous eight months combined.
• In the last two weeks, there have been 6 confirmed deaths - compared to 9 deaths in almost all of 2020.

Berkeley has imposed restrictions to all including the brewery industry. The following are some health orders in the city:

COVID-19 Risk Reduction Order

As of January 9, 2021, This Order outlines the existing limitations of COVID-19 on events and meetings in the City of Berkeley. It was released to conform local restrictions with the State of California's Regional Stay at Home Order on December 5, 2020.

It closes outdoor dining, hair salons, barbershops and other personal care facilities, museums, film theaters, wineries and bars, and limited services not included in essential infrastructure, and adds additional limitations on retail, hotels and other sectors that remain open. It forbids all social meetings between people not belonging to the same household.

Isolation & Quarantine

These Orders, issued concurrently, require people who have been diagnosed with or are likely to have COVID-19 to be isolated until at least 1 day has elapsed since recovery and at least 10 days have elapsed since symptoms first appeared. The Orders also require people to quarantine themselves if they have been exposed through close contact with someone who has COVID-19, including household contacts, intimate partners, and carers.

Mandatory Face Covers

Requires everyone to visibly wear face coverings outside their home, and to wear them over their nose and mouth within 30 feet of others.

Note: Although Berkeley's order only covers 12 years of age and older, the state of California's rule-covering face requires masks for every 2 years of age and older. Where national and local restrictions differ, the stricter of the two rules shall apply.

Screening and masks for licensed facilities

Requires symptom checks, temperature tests, face coverings and other measures for all workers, visitors and residents of licensed facilities.