Open for business? Health plan needed

The La Conner Weekly News is an essential business under Gov. Jay Inslee’s March 23 Executive Order directing residents to stay home and closing businesses except those “needed to maintain continuity of operations of essential critical infrastructure sectors and additional sectors.”

The Weekly News is grouped in the communications sector, among “newspapers and media service, including, but not limited to front line news reporters, studio and technicians for newsgathering and reporting, and workers involved in the printing and distribution of newspapers.”

Essential businesses must have health plans of “best practices to protect their workplaces” as found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They have strategies and recommendations that can be implemented as precautions against the COVID-19 virus.

The elements of a plan include:

1. Monitoring employees health. “Actively encourage” sick employees to stay home and to check and have employees report being sick.

3. Cleaning and disinfection guidance: Clean all high touch areas.

4. Create social distancing: Communicate with signage and creating rules and train staff to follow them.

5. Clean all high touch areas: Use Environmental Protection Agency registered cleaning products.

6. Practice good health habits: Create rules, train staff and follow good health practices.

General Manager Michelle Havist will develop and implement the Weekly News health plan. Workplaces need to designate a health plan manager with authority to carry out the plan.

The Washington Department of Health promotes: “Sharing correct information is the best thing we can do to keep the wrong information from getting out.” www.doh.wa.gov/coronavirus.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

The state’s COVID-19 web portal is the central location for information and resources for businesses: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/business-workers.