As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, the SLO Public Health Department is preparing for our County to be included on the State’s watch list. The biggest impacts of this designation will be felt by bars/brew pubs/breweries, wine tasting rooms, and indoor dining which will likely have to close (at least that’s what we’ve seen in other counties).
With information and guidelines changing daily, it’s important to be flexible and even more important to be prepared. Now is the perfect time to check in on — and possibly update — your health and safety measures, ensure that your employees know about your procedures, and create a contingency plan in case you have to close.
Five things you can do today to be prepared and stay safe:
- Complete a risk assessment for your business (See an example here)
- Double check that your plan and actions comply with the guidelines for your industry and actually work — if it’s not working, this is a great time to update your policies
- Train your entire staff on the new safety measures so they are compliant — they are your first line of defense and you can be cited if your employees don’t know the rules and are unfamiliar with your plan
- Complete the ready to reopen certification form and post signage so customers know you’re ready, open & safe
- You can also check out the CDC’s decision tree to make sure you’re choosing to reopen at the right time
If you’re in the City of SLO, join in on the Open SLO Program! Take advantage of the free permitting and move your operations outside. Activate your parking lot as outdoor seating, a meeting space or browsing area; look around to see if your sidewalk or alley could be used differently; and, if you’re downtown, do a simple pop-up each weekend when the streets are closed.
Watch Council Member Andy Pease share about the program here. More information and updates on this weekend’s activities here.
We will keep you up to date as new information becomes available and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you are confused, have questions or just need to talk it through.
Photo provided by the City of San Luis Obispo.