New Guidelines For Businesses Under COVID-19

Yakima Valley Tourism has created a special website for businesses to find the most up to date COVID-19 information and reopening resources. The site is called Yakima Valley Open and Safe. You'll find it on the web at yvopenandsafe.com. The site is specifically for business owners and it includes a downloadable business pledge form, sample reopening plans plus health department safety guidelines. Yakima County has been approved for outdoor seating only with proper distancing and only members of the same household.
On Tuesday the Yakima Health District issued a memo giving more details about guidelines used to reopen some businesses in the county.
The memo says The operations of tap houses,breweries and wineries without a kitchen and dining menu, water recreational activities, as well as any indoor worship services and large outdoor services are not part of the current “Roadmap to Recovery” for Yakima County.
The memo also says any location that was considered a restaurant prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, as defined by providing sit-down meals at tables, may have outdoor seating.  Providing snacks or appetizers with alcoholic beverages does not permit a facility to have outdoor seating under the “Roadmap to Recovery”. Also, having an outdoor bar with seating is not an allowed activity during the modified Phase 1, nor is live music.