SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ South Lake Tahoe is continuing to restart its economy with a mix of hotels, lodges and campgrounds reopening Friday.
Nearly a month after coronavirus and stay-at-home orders put the brakes on what would normally be a busy and lucrative Memorial Day weekend, tourism officials say they are encouraged by the lifting of travel restrictions.
"We're thrilled to be welcoming back visitors," Carol Chaplin, chief executive officer and president of Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, said in a statement Thursday. "Guests can now make plans to safely enjoy South Shore."
National forest campgrounds in the Lake Tahoe Basin are among the attractions set to begin opening Friday, U.S. Forest Service officials said Thursday afternoon.
Forest Service officials are reminding people to practice safe physical distancing and not gather in groups.
The Sacramento Bee's attempts to contact South Lake Tahoe city officials were immediately unsuccessful, but city officials in recent weeks had begun to modify restrictions on outdoor dining while continuing to urge safe behaviors to curb coronavirus. El Dorado County has also lifted its travel ban to the Tahoe basin.
Casinos on the Nevada side of the lake have opened in recent days.
"It's important that we reopen and reopen responsibly," South Lake Tahoe City Manager Joe Irvin said in late May during a discussion on levying fines for nonessential travelers and businesses.
