Coronavirus Update: Some Napa Business Owners Say They Aren't Ready To Reopen
NAPA (CBS SF) -- Napa County officials announced Thursday they will be moving into Phase 2, following the governor's recommendations for reopening business shuttered for weeks by the stay-at-home order but not every store owner has decided to reopen.
Starting Friday, certain types of businesses will be allowed to operate in Napa County but only if they do "curbside retail." Among the businesses allowed to reopen: clothing stores, book stores, toy stores, furnishing stores, sporting goods, and florists.
Napa County officials also added that starting Saturday, face coverings will be mandatory inside businesses and also in workplaces where 6 feet social distancing can't be maintained.
Gov. Gavin Newsom made it clear in a Thursday briefing that individual counties could have different rules.
"I think it's significant that California offers concurrence legally allowing certain jurisdictions to maintain more strict guidelines, as you know well," Newsom said.
Thea Witsil, the owner of a popular vintage clothing shop called Wildcat, said she had already been through a lot before the pandemic.
"I'm not ready to give up," said Witsil. "This cat has more than 9 lives, apparently, living through the earthquakes and the fires and the car crash through the window."
But Witsil says her popular vintage clothing shop will remain closed. She says he's been making masks, even set up a gofundme account to help her store get by until it's time. But she doesn't think the county is ready for this moment.
"I can't speak for everybody but I met with 7 downtown business owners today and none of us are opening tomorrow," she said. "I mean we're in the middle of a pandemic. Our numbers in Napa County are low, but so is our testing. We were really late on the testing game. So that is not reflective of reality."