COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines - Hotels

Written By Angie Phan (Executive Assistant)

Updated at May 26th, 2021

COVID-19 Guidance Information Updates

All state guidance information is current as of 05/17/2021, 8:00 AM/ The local guidance is current as of 05/14/2021, 8:00 AM.

Guidance Considerations

Please consult the covid19.ca.gov industry guidance website, the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 guidance website, and the local public health department COVID-19 website to check for more recent updates. Also refer to the Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary COVID-19 Prevention Standards and guidance material to make sure you are in full compliance with the emergency standards. 

For guidance material from covid19.ca.gov in languages other than English, please visit covid10.ca.gov's industry Guidance in other languages page.

Additional Resources

Employers should also consult the COVID-10 Employer Playbook and the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Guidance and Resources as they contain helpful information and guidance for employers. 

Department of Industrial Relations' COVID-19 resources page also contains helpful resources and guidance for employers and workers. 

Do you have more questions after reviewing the portal? Cal/OSHA provides free consultation services for workplace safety and health questions or assistance. The Cal/OSHA Consultation Services can be reached via...

COVID-19 Vaccinations

Information about COVID-19 vaccination in California can be found at the vaccines page of covid.19.ca.gov as well as myturn.ca.gov 

COVID-19 Industry Guidance 

This is designed to capture all the steps you should take as a business to operate safely, protect workers, and stop the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.


1.1 Opening Status and Modifications for State

For Madera, the opening status of the business you selected is:

Can open with modifications

  • – +Fitness centers (+25%)
  • – +Indoor pools


For more information Industry Guidance on the Covid19.ca.gov website. Please click on the tab for your industry.

Please note that this is for statewide guidance, and that local guidance may be more restrictive. More information about the local guidance can be found on the Risk Assessment tab under Local Guidance. Employers should follow the more restrictive guidance between the state and local guidance.

1.2 Risk assessment

State Guidance


Make sure you have a written and effectively implemented Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). To help you do this, consult the Guide to Developing Your Workplace Injury & Illness Prevention Program and the Injury & Illness Prevention Model Program for HighHazard Employers. Having your IIPP in place will aid you in implementing your COVID-19 Prevention Program.

You must allow for your employees and any authorized representatives, such as a union representative to participate in the risk assessment and provide them access to your COVID-19 Prevention Program.


The recently adopted COVID-19 Prevention emergency temporary standard requires that you perform a detailed risk assessment for COVID-19 and establish, implement, and maintain an effective written COVID-19 Prevention Program that is specifically designed for each individual work site. In order to do this, start with reviewing the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards FAQs, COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards What Employers Need to Know Fact Sheet, and Model COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP).


In addition, consult both the COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals and the COVID-19 General Checklist for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals.

Local Guidance

Additionally, the employer must know the local public health department contact information, any local county requirements, and the procedures for reporting COVID-19 cases to the local public health department.

The local public health department requires that the Confidential Morbidity Report be received by the Communicable Disease Section within one day of identification.

The contact information for the local county public health department is as follows:


Madera County Department of Public Health

  • Phone number: (559) 675-7893
  • Fax number: (559) 674-7262


The local public health department's website with additional resources can be located at this website.

Please note that there are additional county guidelines that goes beyond the state guidelines that employers should understand and comply with.


Additional guidance on risk assessment in Madera County is provided by Madera County

1.3 Training

State Guidance

Provide effective training and instruction to employees on how COVID-19 is spread, infection prevention techniques, the importance of not coming to work and getting tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms, and information regarding COVID-19-related benefits that affected employees may be entitled to under applicable federal, state, or local laws.


Consult both the COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals and the COVID-19 General Checklist for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals.

The industry guidance and the checklist provide information on how to meet the training requirements. The checklist lists the topics that the employees should be trained on at minimum and the industry guidance provides more detailed information.

Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards for details on the topics that training needs must include.

1.4 Individual Control Measures and Screening

State Guidelines

Consult both the COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals and the COVID-19 General Checklist for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals.

The industry guidance and the checklist provide information on how to meet the individual control measures and screening requirements. The checklist lists the minimum individual control measures and screening policies that should be implemented and the industry guidance provides more detailed information.

Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary COVID-19 Prevention Standards for details on required control measures.


Local Guidelines

Additional guidance on individual control measures and screening in Madera County is provided by Madera County.


1.5 Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocols

State Guidance


Please note that all businesses permitted to operate indoors must follow the California Department of Public Health interim guidance for ventilation, filtration, and air quality in indoor environments to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Consult both the COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals and the COVID-19 General Checklist for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals. The industry guidance and the checklist provide information on the requirements of the ventilation, cleaning, and disinfecting protocols. The checklist lists the minimum ventilation, cleaning, and disinfecting protocols that should be implemented and the industry guidance provides more detailed information.

Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards for details on cleaning and disinfection protocols.

1.6 Physical Distancing Guidelines

State Guidance

Consult both the COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals and the COVID-19 General Checklist for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals.

The industry guidance and the checklist provide information on the physical distancing guidelines. The checklist lists the minimum physical distancing guidelines that should be implemented and the industry guidance provides more detailed information. Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards for details on physical distancing requirements.

1.7 Universal Face Covering Requirements

State Guidance


Consult the California COVID-19 Employer Playbook, which provides information on the universal face covering requirements and also provides guidance for employers and workers in enforcing mask requirements.


Please also consult California Department of Public Health's Guidance for the use of face covering.


Please also see Cal/OSHA's Face Coverings, Masks and Respirators poster that is available here and can be posted at the worksite.

For additional guidance on enforcing mask requirements, please refer to information provided by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).


Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards for details on face covering requirements.

1.8 Employee Benefits

State Guidance 

Employer needs to provide the following benefits to their workers in order to be in compliance with the California labor laws:

  • Paid Sick Leave (includes local paid sick leave)
  • Coverage under workers compensation insurance
  • Job-protected leave under California Family Rights Act


Employees may also be eligible for benefits under EDD administered programs such as California family leave program and disability insurance program.


Paid Sick Leave

All employees in California start earning paid sick leave from the first day of employment. Please see Labor Commissioner's Frequently Asked Questions on paid sick leave and FAQ on laws enforced by the Labor Commissioner’s Office for additional information.

More information about the California COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave law is available at the Labor Commissioner's website.

Additional information about paid sick leave is available at the Labor Commissioner’s Office’s website.


In addition to paid sick leave, California employers with more than 25 employees will make available to their employees California’s COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. Please note that California requirement to provide Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) for COVID-19 related reasons was recently extended. For more information about COVID19 supplemental paid sick leave, including information on its retroactivity, please consult the Labor Commissioner's website. Please also consult the 2021 COVID-19 California Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Eligibility Navigator.

More information about the various forms of paid sick leave is available at California Department of Industrial Relations' website.

Workers Compensation Insurance


Every employer with employees must have an active workers compensation insurance policy. Employees who contract COVID-19 at work may be eligible for workers compensation benefits, which could provide workers with medical treatment and partially replace wages lost while they are recovering.


More information about workers compensation insurance and COVID-19 presumption for workers compensation can be found at the Division of Workers Compensation website.

California Family Rights Act


Provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for their serious health conditions or to care for spouse, parent, or dependent child with a serious health condition. COVID-19 may qualify as serious health condition under specific circumstances.

More information about the California Family Rights Act and additional guidance and information on COVID-19 from Department Fair Employment and Housing can be found at Department of Fair Employment Housing's website.


Additional Benefits

Please note that your employees may also be eligible for disability insurance or paid family leave, including for potentially COVID-19 related reasons. Disability insurance program and California paid family leave program are administered by EDD State Disability Insurance Program. EDD's website has additional information about the disability insurance program and California paid family leave program.

Please consult the COVID-19 Testing and Vaccines FAQ from the Labor Commissioner’s Office for information on topics such as whether an employer is required to compensate a worker for time spent obtaining a COVID-19 test or vaccination.

Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards for details on requirements for employee benefits including but not limited to exclusion pay and benefits.

California recently enacted SB 93, which requires covered employers to inform covered employees laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic about job positions that they are qualified for. It also requires covered employers to offer job positions to those employees based on a preference system.


More information about the legislation, including which employers and employees are covered and the requirements of the legislation, is available at the California legislative information website.

1.9 Immediate Steps to Take Following a COVID-19 Case

State Guidance

Once you are aware of a COVID-19 illness in the workplace, you should immediately take the following steps to limit the spread of COVID-19:

Consult Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace for Employers checklist. Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards, including the FAQs, for details on the requirements to investigate and follow-up after a COVID-19 case.;

As part of the written plan, the employer should take the steps outlined in the checklist and Employer Playbook for preparing for identification of COVID-19 illnesses in their workplace.

After confirming a COVID-19 case, consult the checklist and Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards, which also outline the procedures to follow in communicating identified cases of COVID-19 to

1. Local Health Department,

2. Cal/OSHA, and

3. workers, their authorized representatives, and any contractors who were present, including providing written notice and instructions to workers.

Once there is a confirmed COVID-19 case, employers should follow all the steps outlined in the employer playbook for preventing further spread in the workplace.

Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards for details on the requirements to follow-up after a COVID-19 case. The checklist also outlines additional guidelines for identifying additional worker cases and close contacts of cases to control further spread in the workplace.

The employer should also follow the guidelines for cleaning and disinfection, as well as deep/enhanced cleaning and disinfection after workers with COVID-19 have been at work.

The employer should also consider the guidance provided by the employer playbook to decide whether to temporarily suspend operations due to the COVID-19 infection in the workplace. The employer playbook outlines steps to consider.

Cal/OSHA has created a tool to help you identify your local regional office to report COVID-19 cases that resulted in death or meet the definition of a serious illness.

Local Guidelines

The local public health department requires that the Confidential Morbidity Report be received by the Communicable Disease Section within one day of identification.


The contact information for the local county public health department is as follows:


Madera County Department of Public Health



The local public health department's website with additional resources can be located at this website.

Please note that there are additional county guidelines that goes beyond the state guidelines that employers should understand and comply with.


Also, AB 685 requires that non-healthcare employers report to their local health department within 48 hours when the non-health care employer identifies 3 or more COVID-19 cases at a worksite within a 14-day period. More information on the requirements of AB 685 is outlined by CDPH.

1.10 Re-Opening Safely Following a COVID-19 Case

State Guidance

In order to re-open the business safely following a workplace COVID-19 illness, the employer should first consult the Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace for Employers checklist; which lists

1. cleaning guide that an employer needs to complete after a confirmed COVID-19 illness, and

2. when a worker who has been exposed to COVID-19 case can return to work; The checklist includes a cleaning and disinfection guide for the workplace that you should follow after workers with COVID-19 have been at work. The checklist includes a table that outlines the criteria for workers to return to work based on guidance from CDC. The employer should also consult with their local health department for further guidance.


Also, review the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards for details on what must take place before an individual with a confirmed COVID case is allowed to return to work.

1.11 Additional industry guidance

State Guidance

For short-term rental units, consult both the COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals and the COVID-19 General Checklist for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals.

The industry guidance and the checklist provide information on additional considerations for short-term rental units. The checklist lists the additional considerations for short-term rental units that should be considered and implemented, the industry guidance provides more detailed information.


For swimming pools and aquatic venues, consult both the COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals and the COVID-19 General Checklist for Hotels, Lodging, and Short-Term Rentals.

The industry guidance and the checklist provide information on additional considerations for swimming pools and aquatic venues. The checklist lists the additional considerations for swimming pools and aquatic venues that should be considered and implemented, the industry guidance provides more detailed information.




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