New State guidance for Hotels, Lodging and Short-Term Rentals for tourism and individual travel
On April 24, 2020, the Monterey County Health Officer issued an order allowing short-term lodging for limited purposes, including lodging in support of COVID-19 containment and mitigation measures and lodging for persons temporarily relocated to provide essential services. On May 26, 2020, the Monterey County Health Officer issued a new Shelter-in-Place Order which aligns the County Health Officer Shelter-in-Place Order with applicable State Orders to fully join the State in Stage 2 and continue to move with the State through Stages 3 and 4 of the State COVID-19 Resilience Roadmap.
In light of release of new State guidance for Hotels, Lodging and Short-Term Rentals for tourism and individual travel and approval by the County Health Officer for short-term rentals to reopen following the new State guidance, the County Health Officer Short-Term Lodging Order is no longer necessary.
All other Monterey County Health Officer Orders remain in effect.
Tips for Responsible Travel
- Choose an eco-friendly tour operator or accommodations
- Consider local conservation or social projects that you could visit or support during your trip
- Buy local goods and produce instead of imported goods
- Hire a local guide
- Do not buy products from endangered species, hard woods or ancient artifacts
- Respect local cultures, traditions and holy places
- Use public transport, rent a bike or walk when convenient
- Bring a reusable water bottle and shopping bag to reduce the amount of one-time use plastics
- Always leave a place better than the way you arrived, this includes “pack in, pack out” and “leave no trace” practices
- When you leave your hotel room, turn off the lights and all electronics
- Consider leaving the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door so that housekeeping staff won’t clean your room every day
- Stick to marked trails to avoid harming native flora, and consider taking a bag to pick up trash along your hike
- Take time to immerse yourself in the local music, art and cuisine
- Embrace the cultural differences that make it unique