In Palm Desert, the safety of our guests has always been a top priority. Now, in the midst of the fears surrounding COVID-19, we’re even more focused on making sure that you’re healthy. The entire hospitality community is taking cues from public health experts and following local, state and federal mandates to prevent the spread of the virus.

Currently, here are some of the key State and County advisories and guidelines that will affect the visit of travelers to our area:

The State of California enacted Regional Stay-at-Home Orders which are triggered when any given region’s ICU hospital bed capacity falls below 15%. This limited closure is intended to help stop the surge and prevent overwhelming our area’s hospital capacity. 

Southern California crossed that threshold in early December 2020, and the order was indefinitely extended on December 29. Now that the order has been extended, data is reviewed twice weekly. The order may be lifted when the four-week projection of available ICU capacity is better than 15%.

The order instructs Californians to stay at home as much as possible to limit the mixing with other households that can lead to COVID-19 spread. Nonessential travel and use of hotels and lodging for leisure has been banned, as are overnight, short-term stays at campgrounds. Restaurants can offer food only for delivery and takeout. All retail can remain open, but at 20% capacity. It allows access to (and travel for) critical services and allows outdoor activities for physical and mental health.

The following sectors are instructed by the state to close:

• Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
• Indoor recreational facilities
• Hair salons and barbershops
• Personal care services
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums
• Movie theaters
• Wineries
• Bars, breweries, and distilleries
• Family entertainment centers
• Cardrooms and satellite wagering
• Limited services
• Live audience sports
• Amusement parks

The following sectors have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:

• Hotels and lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
• Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up, or delivery. 
• Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity (35% for stand-alone grocery stores) with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. 
• Shopping centers: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. 
• Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
• Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only.

More information is available at covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs.

In addition to the Stay-at-Home order, the State of California Department of Public Health's Travel Advisory, enacted in November, remains in effect. It recommends that visitors and returning residents alike self-quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival in California, and limit their interactions to their immediate household.
www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Travel-Advisory.aspx

If you’re preparing to visit but need more information on what to expect, send us a note in the chat box at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. With regular changes to guidelines, our team will give you the most up-to-date knowledge so you can make the most of your vacation.