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Tahoe shutdown: Can Bay Area residents travel there?

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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateFor more stories like this, check out The Chronicle’s weekly Travel newsletter! .A rise in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in California's Greater Sacramento region triggered a state-issued stay-at-home order that took effect on Dec. 11 for an area that encompasses Lake Tahoe, carrying the message that vacation travel there is off-limits until at least Jan. 1.Though local officials and tourism bureaus are issuing clear guidance to prospective travelers to steer clear of the region, there remains a lot of confusion around , many of whom had booked hotel rooms and Airbnbs before the shutdown period or who are looking forward to skiing at resorts in the Tahoe region, which remain open even during stay-at-home.Tahoe residents report that people are still traveling to the area, presumably to ski and seek respite in the mountains from a housebound pandemic lifestyle that has persisted for more than 9 months.If conditions at intensive-care units in the Greater Sacramento region improve dramatically in the next few weeks, the area might be able to reopen to tourists just in time for New Year’s. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about Tahoe’s shutdown.11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10. .The greater Lake Tahoe area spans five counties, two of which are in Nevada. The order pertains to the three California counties and will impact residents in those counties and non-residents traveling to that region, which includes Truckee and South Lake Tahoe. Under California’s order, long-distance travel is being discouraged.Under stay-at-home, outdoor dining is prohibited. Retail establishments can only operate at 20% capacity. Hair salons and barbershops, indoor gyms, museums, zoos, aquariums, personal care services, wineries, bars, breweries, cardrooms, live audience sports, and family entertainment centers will be closed.Non-essential travel in and out of the Tahoe area is prohibited, except in instances in which travelers book for more than 14 days and self-quarantine during that period, . "To prevent further spread of COVID-19, Californians should not travel significant distances and should stay close to home as much as possible," according to the .So far, that is unclear.The that people in affected areas refrain from driving more than two or three hours from their homes.Breaking the order may be punishable as a misdemeanor crime and fine or "court-imposed penalties," according to the state's guidelines.Enforcing a ban on visitors to Lake Tahoe during shelter-in-place in March was virtually impossible, authorities say. The city of South Lake Tahoe issued a small number of $1,000 fines to individual visitors breaking lockdown in the spring. Officials have also said that fines up to $500 for businesses and up to $100 for people failing to wear a mask in public could be issued under the statewide mask mandate.Half of Lake Tahoe is in Nevada, which has less restrictive pandemic rules in place. South Lake Tahoe, which is bifurcated by the state line, is especially tricky for travelers to navigate right now.Under an , Nevada is allowing casinos, arcades, theme parks, museums and other establishments to operate at 25% capacity. Indoor and outdoor dining and public gatherings is also permitted — with some restrictions.Lodging operators are — people traveling for work, medical needs and critical infrastructure support. Communities around the lake, including Truckee and South Lake Tahoe, are asking hoteliers and property managers of short-term rentals to cancel all existing reservations through Jan. 1.Hotels and property managers have already begun canceling reservations and calling guests. December and the Christmas holiday is a highly popular time for tourism in Tahoe and that the impact to their bottom lines for 2020 would be devastating.The impact of the mass cancellations will be felt communitywide because municipalities depend on hotel taxes to fund local budgets. In South Lake Tahoe, for example, hotel taxes account for about 40% of the city's income, according to Chris Fiore, the city's communications manager.Airbnb and VRBO are not blocking bookings in the Tahoe region. As of press time, there were dozens of listings in the Tahoe region available on those websites.City and county officials in the Tahoe area say they don't have authority to regulate third-party booking marketplaces or the resources to closely monitor the thousands of short-term rentals across the region."We don't have the capacity to go door to door to every single (vacation home rental)," Fiore said.More for youGuests can cancel their bookings through Airbnb's website, but they might only get a 50% refund — or no refund at all, depending on when they booked and the discretion of the host.Airbnb leaves cancellation policies largely up to hosts, who can set loose or restrictive rules. The company waived some cancellation penalties at the onset of the pandemic in March. However, its explicitly does not cover trip changes due to COVID-related stay-at-home orders. (It does, however, provide refunds to guests who have tested positive for the virus.)Several Airbnb guests have told the Chronicle that they were able to negotiate full refunds from sympathetic hosts. Others, however, have only received partial refunds or had to swallow the whole cost of a canceled booking.It's not clear how the stay-at-home order is being enforced, but several areas around Tahoe have ordinances in place that allow them to fine short-term rental occupants and hosts who violate shutdown orders.Tahoe officials told the Chronicle that they have been receiving calls and complaints about short-term rental guests since the shutdown took effect and will respond accordingly."We will continue to respond to citizen complaints about short-term rentals and prioritize those concerns based on protecting the public’s overall health and safety," according to a statement from Placer County officials provided to the Chronicle.If you own a vacation home in Tahoe, you are allowed to travel to your property during the shutdown. However, all travelers are expected to , which recommends self-quarantining for 14 days upon arrival.Yes, ski areas are staying open during the shutdown. They have put in many new pandemic protocols, requiring skiers to wear masks and stay distant from one another.Most ski areas require guests to reserve ski days or purchase day passes online in advance in order to keep crowding under control. For a detailed breakdown of how each Tahoe ski area is operating this year, .It's unclear where this scenario falls on the spectrum of allowable travel.Gov. Newsom has said that getting outdoors to exercise and de-stress — including at ski areas — under the regional stay-at-home order. However, the state is explicitly discouraging non-essential travel for long distances and more than two or three hours from home.Various resorts will have different policies, so it’s best to contact each one directly for specific information regarding cancellations.Cancellations on short notice can possibly allow for vouchers. Northstar, for example, will issue full refunds for cancellations made prior to 48 hours of the lesson start time. Visitors will also be eligible for a “Closure and Cancellation refund” in the event of an extended resort closure event, or what’s going on now.Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: . Gregory Thomas is the Chronicle's editor of lifestyle &amp; outdoors. Email: . Twitter:

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateFor more stories like this, check out The Chronicle’s weekly Travel newsletter! .A rise in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in California's Greater Sacramento region triggered a state-issued stay-at-home order that took effect on Dec. 11 for an area that encompasses Lake Tahoe, carrying the message that vacation travel there is off-limits until at least Jan. 1.Though local officials and tourism bureaus are issuing clear guidance to prospective travelers to steer clear of the region, there remains a lot of confusion around ,...

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Gregory Thomas

Annie Vainshtein

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Tahoe shutdown: Can Bay Area residents travel there?

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