By Jeannie O'Sullivan

Law360 (June 8, 2021, 3:15 PM EDT ) COVID-19 mitigation measures largely nourished the food and beverage industry this past week, which ushered in a restaurant comeback plan in California and free drinks for vaccinated bar patrons in Illinois.

In other pandemic commerce news, Delaware small businesses are in store for grants of up to $5,000 as reimbursement for providing incentives to immunized customers. In New York, business restrictions will be lifted once 70% of the Empire State's adults are vaccinated.

School reopening measures also advanced. California will begin reaching out to parents about fall semester plans and New York is allowing schools to forego the outdoor mask requirement.

Here's a breakdown of some of the COVID-19-related state measures from the past week.


California

The state Department of Public Health on Monday unveiled a $25 million outreach, information and technology campaign aimed at connecting with parents in the areas hardest hit by the pandemic regarding the return to school this fall. The campaign will be carried out throughout the summer.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 3 announced a restaurant comeback plan that will offer extended relief measures allowing eateries and bars to expand outdoor operations on sidewalks and parking lots and continue the sale of to-go alcoholic beverages. The Newsom administration is also urging municipalities to provide zoning measures that support open-air, take-out and delivery operations.

Delaware

Gov. John Carney and the state's Division of Small Business said Monday that more than 200 companies will receive state grants of up to $5,000 to reimburse them for offering incentives to vaccinated customers. The grants are part of DE Wins!, a vaccine education and incentive campaign.

Illinois

As of June 2, restaurants and bars were authorized to offer a free drink to vaccinated patrons under a new law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The law also extends establishments' ability to sell cocktails for pickup and delivery.

Massachusetts

A total of $109 million in American Rescue Plan funding will be distributed to the towns of Chelsea, Everett, Methuen and Randolph, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday. He said the communities were among the hardest hit by the pandemic.

On June 3, the Baker administration announced the planned closing dates for mass vaccination sites, noting that nearly 3.7 million residents have been fully vaccinated and more than 4.3 million residents have received their first dose. The administration said it's now focused on targeted efforts to reach remaining populations.

New Jersey

Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday ended the oft-renewed coronavirus public health emergency declaration and signed a bill allowing the continuation of vaccination efforts, testing and related issues. In a statement the day before, Murphy said the move was "one of the most significant steps we have taken in our recovery efforts to date," but "that the fight against this virus is not over."

New York

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Monday that business restrictions prompted by the coronavirus, such as capacity limits, cleaning rules and social distancing mandates, will be lifted once 70% of the state's adults are vaccinated. In a separate announcement Monday, Cuomo said that 11 new pop-up vaccination sites will open in areas where immunization rates are significantly lower than the statewide average.

Also on Monday, Cuomo said school districts may choose to lift the outdoor mask requirement for students. Indoor mask-use guidance remains in place.

Texas

The state Health and Human Services Commission will provide about $208 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, food benefits for June as part of the state's pandemic response, according to a June 2 announcement.

--Additional reporting by Bill Wichert. Editing by Kelly Duncan.

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