351 Local Businesses Could Have Reopened Last Friday

[Updated] It turns out 351 businesses in Pasadena could have operated via curbside in Pasadena on Friday, according to City Manager Steve Mermell.

Mermell told the council on Monday, that when Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that bookstores, clothing stores, music stores, sporting goods shops and jewelry stores could begin operating provided they followed social distancing guidelines and sold their products via curbside business, Newsom apparently was not entirely clear.

“The governor’s initial announcement made it seem like it was specific to those retailers,” Mermell said.

According to Mermell, Newsom meant “such as” when he listed those businesses.

In other words, Newsom was saying all retail business could operate provided they do not let people in their stores and can conduct safe curbside business “such as” bookstores, clothing stores, music stores, sporting goods shops and jewelry stores.

It turns out the governor is allowing all retail businesses that can operate curbside can do business.

The confusion led to 50 businesses reopening for business in Pasadena, but an additional 301 could have done business if the order was clearer.

Since then the city has released an order for limited types of businesses to operate curbside.

County officials are expected to release an order this week allowing all retail businesses to do curbside businesses.

Long Beach has already released an order.

On Monday, Mermell asked the Council if they wanted to allow all retail to do business under the proper guidelines preventing the spread of the Coronavirus.

Of the 50 businesses that did do business, 40 businesses did curbside business with no problems. Of the remaining 10, three were essential businesses, seven businesses were not compliant, but came into compliance once city officials contacted them.

According to Mermell, 52 staff members split up drove around the city to observe the businesses.

On Sunday, there were issues with six restaurants that had people inside waiting for pick up, not sit down dining.

Three florists allowed people inside.

“It was fairly quiet, it went fairly smoothly,” Mermell said.