Returning to 'Normal'
Beginning today, June 15, all sectors listed in the State of CA's Blueprint Activities and Business Tiers Chart may return to usual operations (with limited exceptions for Mega Events). All businesses should continue to follow Cal/OSHA emergency regulations (which apply to their workplace/ employees) and current CDPH Guidance for Face Coverings (which applies to customers and all others). Travelers should follow CDC recommendations and CDPH Travel Advisory.
With almost two-thirds of eligible Berkeleyans and half the people statewide now fully vaccinated, the critical urgency of almost all emergency laws have ebbed and the City of Berkeley has no plans to impose any more stringent local requirements at this time.
The City encourages employers to:
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Pay close attention to evolving federal and state rules, including those from the federal EEOC, the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing and Cal-OSHA.
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Encourage employees to look for vaccination options on the City of Berkeley website, MyTurn and private providers
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Be aware of how COVID-19 spreads and use protection measures including vaccination, masks, social distancing, handwashing, and good ventilation.
See the City of Berkeley COVID-19 website for local metrics and more information on vaccinations, school reopening and health restrictions. All City buildings will now be open Monday through Friday from 10am to 2pm.
Employers can also subscribe to the Alameda County Public Health Department newsletter to get notified about the County's latest Workplace & Recovery guidance and updates.
At tonight’s (June 15) Berkeley City Council meeting, Council will consider adopting a path to permanence for outdoor dining and commerce (Item 38). This will also allow for parklets established during the pandemic to be converted to outdoor commerce installations. The renewable Outdoor Commerce Use fee payments will be coordinated with the annual business license renewal cycle and the annual Outdoor Commerce Use Fee will be commensurate with the corresponding block face’s price for parking.
Visit the City of Berkeley’s Outdoor Commerce webpage for additional resources on obtaining Outdoor Commerce permits or see Item 38 on the 6/15 Council agenda for more details on proposed options for existing outdoor commerce permit holders once the local state of emergency ends.
Additionally, grant funding to support existing outdoor commerce installations is still available. Click here for more information.
The City of Berkeley’s #DiscoveredinBerkeley campaign spotlights local businesses enriching our community and building a better world. The latest article in Berkeleyside highlights how innovative West Berkeley food-tech company, Perfect Day, creates milk proteins that retain everything people love about dairy, but in a much more sustainable way.
Read Berkeleyside's article about Perfect Day Foods on the DiscoveredinBerkeley website and follow @DiscoveredinBerkeley on Instagram to see more about innovative Berkeley businesses.
Ditch gas and cook clean, fast and efficiently with induction. East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) is now accepting applications for its Commercial Induction Rebate Program. This rebate incentivizes the installation of portable and installed electric induction cooktops and ranges in commercial kitchens. Rebates are available to cover up to $15,000 of total non-electrical project costs such as equipment, labor, and permits.
For more program details and to apply while funds last, see ebce.org/commercial-kitchens.
In case you missed it...
The State of CA's Employer Vaccination Toolkit provides employers with vaccine education materials, information on COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave and other guidance for employees, and an online form to request vaccination support. Employers interested in requesting COVID-19 group appointments at a nearby provider, or setting up a mobile or pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic at their workplace, can do so by completing this online form for the California Department of Public Health.
OED presented at June 2 Planning Commission meeting about the State of Research & Development (R&D) industries in Berkeley as part of a discussion on the City Council referral to amend the City's definition of R&D for zoning purposes.
Download the presentation or read the staff report to learn how R&D industries support the Berkeley economy.
The Berkeley Startup Cluster — a partnership of the City of Berkeley, UC Berkeley, Berkeley Lab and local business organizations with a mission to make Berkeley a more vibrant, accessible and equitable place for startups to launch and grow — launched the Berkeley Ventures, Berkeley Values (BV2) Learning Lab and Pitch Competition event series to help Berkeley startups and innovation companies inform, cultivate, and pitch their ideas for equity and inclusion.
On May 18, a panel of leading DEI experts discussed ways companies can advance equity through culture and products.
Listen to the recording here.
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