Coronavirus Toolkit
Visitor Impact of Coronavirus
Updated: April 6, 2021
California and Napa County
California issued a Blueprint for a Safer Economy on August 31, 2020 with revised criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions on activities based on county-level COVID-19 metrics. With coronavirus case rates on the decline and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continuing to ramp up, Napa County advanced to Tier 3 (Orange/Moderate), allowing wineries to resume indoor operations. More specifically:
- Wineries, breweries and distilleries can open indoors at a 25% capacity.
- Hotels remain open to leisure travelers and their fitness centers and pools can open at a 25% capacity.
- Restaurants can serve indoors at a 50% capacity.
- Bars can open outdoors with modifications.
Gov. Newsom also announced that the state plans to retire its tier system on June 15 as long as it has sufficient supply of vaccines and hospitalizations are low. All sectors of the economy, in all 58 counties, will be able to reopen at or near full capacity with risk reduction measures, including the mask mandate, remaining in place. More information on the state’s move beyond the Blueprint is available here.
Updated Blueprint for a Safer Economy guidance also allows small gatherings, receptions, conferences and indoor live events and performances to resume on April 15. Napa County falls in the orange tier guidelines, which allow:
- Indoor events with a maximum capacity of 150 people if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination.
- Outdoor events with a maximum of 100 people. Or a maximum of 300 people if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination.
Public health officials also lifted its 120-mile travel advisory but still discourage out-of-state travel. New recommendations for nonessential, or leisure, travel include taking a COVID-19 test before and after you travel, even if you have been vaccinated, and self-quarantining for seven days, even if your test is negative. Also see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new guidance on domestic travel.
California public health officials emphasize that physical distancing is the most important strategy to lessen the spread. The governor and public health officials have also directed everyone in California to wear face coverings outside the home.
Find more details around the coronavirus situation in Napa County. More information and updated Napa Valley statistics can be found below:
- Napa County Guidance
- COVID-19 Data Dashboard: Case and testing details, updated @ 1pm Monday - Friday (Disponible en Español)
- Vaccination progress dashboard: updated daily
Gov. Newsom also announced the statewide launch of CA Notify, a digital tool that will help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Californians can opt in to receive COVID-19 notifications informing them if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, Napa County announced that it is transitioning to using the state’s MyTurn vaccine registration tool.
Health & Safety
Protocols
Additional Resources
- Lodging
- Restaurants
- Cal OSHA - Covid-19 Guidance for Restaurants, updated November 24, 2020
- National Restaurant Association - Ready to Reopen Guide for Restaurateurs
- Wineries
- Cal OSHA - Covid-19 Guidance for Wineries and Tasting Rooms that Do Not Serve Meals, updated November 24, 2020
- Napa Valley Vintners - Best Practice Guidelines for Napa County Wineries
- Bars, Breweries, and Distilleries
- Cal OSHA - Covid-19 Guidance for Bars, Breweries and Distilleries that Do Not Serve Meals, updated November 24, 2020
- Social Events and Meetings
- Provisional event guidelines have been reviewed by the Napa County Public Health Officer, so that hotels and venues can operationally prepare for future approval of gatherings by the State of California. Additional guidelines may be distributed by the State, and there is no current timeline for approval.
- California Hotel and Lodging Association released its "Clean + Safe Guidance for Meetings + Events"
Research &
Analysis
Smith Travel Research US Hotel Overview - 10/29
Weekly Analysis
The Monthly Travel Recovery Data Report by U.S. Travel is a forward looking monthly summary of the latest economic, consumer and travel indicators, trends and analysis. Key March highlights include:
- In February 2021, travel spending tallied just $51.4 billion—roughly the same as January—and reflected a 38% drop below February 2020 levels
- Following the May 1 goal to open vaccine eligibility to all U.S. adults, 60% are confident we will ‘return to normal’ by summer
- Close to nine in 10 (87%) of American travelers now have travel plans in the next six months—the highest level since March 2020
- The vast majority of Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) members and stakeholders (84%) say they would be comfortable traveling for business after being vaccinated
- Nonessential domestic business travel is expected to resume in the second half of 2021
- The World Travel & Tourism Council reported that global travel suffered a loss of almost $4.5 trillion in 2020 as a result of the pandemic
Consumer Sentiment
- Destinations International
- ADARA - daily
- Arrivalist - daily
- Destination Analysts - 2/14
- Longwoods - 3/22
- Ketchum Transforming Travelers Study
- American Express Dreams of Travel This Holiday Season
- iMeet Survey of Meeting Planners
- McKinsey & Company Global Tourism Recovery Analysis
- STR Consumer Travel Insights: Market Summary
Talking
Points
Suggested Talking Points for Guests and Employees
It is important to manage expectations and be transparent about the modified guest experience, while continuing to provide warm hospitality.
- Napa Valley’s tourism businesses are proud to be responsibly open, adhering to and exceeding industry best practices for safety, cleanliness and hygiene to protect visitors, employees and community members.
- Social distancing, indoor and outdoor mask use, limited occupancies, advanced reservations, and other health protocols are required by the Napa County Public Health Officer.
- If you are planning a visit to Napa Valley, we kindly ask that you help protect yourself, your family, and our community from the threat of COVID-19 by minding the safety protocols, only visiting with members of your household, keeping your distance and wearing masks unless seated.
- We ask residents and visitors to do their part:
- Wear a mask in public.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Keep at least six feet of physical distance when in public.
- Limit mixing with people you don’t live with.
- Due to Coronavirus health and safety restrictions wineries are open for outdoor service only, restaurants have indoor occupancy restrictions, and varying weather conditions may temporarily impact operations.
- With limited capacity, advanced reservations are required for wine tasting and strongly suggested for dining. Please confirm reservations directly. Bars and breweries are currently closed.
- Napa Valley’s rural, agricultural setting and spacious landscapes naturally allow for a socially distanced experience while still enjoying all that Napa Valley has to offer.
- Napa Valley is committed to the highest safety standards by going above and beyond mandated requirements in order to protect the health and welfare of employees, guests, and our community while providing world-class hospitality.
- *When asked, be prepared to provide examples of newly established health & safety standards to protect the health & safety of both guests and employees. For example:
- Sanitizer stations are located in all public spaces; and guest areas are fully sanitized with UV light sterilizers prior to each guest arrival and after each guest departure.
- All guest contact points - including restrooms; countertops; chairs; tables; and door handles are sanitized on an on-going basis using CDS/OSHA approved cleaning supplies.
- Employees will receive temperature checks before each shift and wear face coverings/protection at all times.
- All guest seating will be outdoors and include appropriate social distancing practices.
- *When asked, be prepared to provide examples of newly established health & safety standards to protect the health & safety of both guests and employees. For example:
Operational
Best Practices
Re-opening
Once you decide when to reopen your business and welcome guests, consider the following communication channels to share hours of operation; your reservation policy; as well as health and safety practices and sanitation protocols to mitigate guest concerns:
- On your website home and reservations pages
- On your main phone line
- Storefront signage (printed in an easy-to-read font, not handwritten)
- Signage in public areas
- Social Media Channels
Guest Reservations
Communicate health & safety protocols as part of the reservation process, including encouraging guests to bring and wear face coverings in public areas and respect the practice of social distancing.
Guest Safety
- Clearly display health & safety requirements in multiple locations in all public areas
- Provide hand sanitizer stations in all public areas
- Utilize “contactless” payment methods if possible
- Disinfect areas after each guest experience (countertops; tables; chairs; etc.)
- Post CDC guidance on proper hand washing practices in all restrooms (consider posting this information in multiple languages to broaden guest communication)
Guest Experience
Set expectations about the guest arrival and be transparent about updates or revisions to the guest experience. For example:
- Will you take the temperature of the guests when they arrive?
- Will guests be asked to wear face protection while in public?
- Will valet parking be available or will guests need to self-park?
For hotels and resorts:
- Will spa and Fitness Centers be available and if so, what will be the new protocol? Will in-room dining be offered?
- Will reservations be necessary to swim or sit at the pool?
- Will restaurant reservations be necessary?
- Will housekeeping services be provided/adjusted?
Key
Resources
For further information, we encourage you to visit official sources of public health information:
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- California Department of Public Health
- Napa County Department of Health & Human Services
We also encourage you to refer to our tourism industry partners:
Relief
Resources
National/State Resources
- COVID-19 CARES Act relief resources
- Small Business Loans
- California Hotel and Lodging Association
- California Restaurant Association
- Restaurants Care
- California Travel Association
- California Rebuilding Fund
- California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program - Application deadline has been extended to 1/13.
Local Resources
- Napa Valley Community Foundation
- Ready Napa County
- Napa Valley COAD
- Contact your local Chamber of Commerce chapter for additional resources
CDC
Information
View Frequently Asked Questions from the CDC, which includes:
- Coronavirus Disease Basics
- How it Spreads
- How to Protect Yourself
- Symptoms and Testing
View Five Facts from the CDC about Coronavirus, which includes:
- For most people, the immediate risk of becoming seriously ill is currently low
- Simple things to do to keep yourself and others healthy