The Pierce County Public Health Department has put together a business tool kit to guide business when they are allowed to either reopen their business or invite more public in as state regulations allow.

The tool kit contains information and check lists for business to follow to make sure their business environment is safe.

“The business tool kit provides business with guidance on preparing for the loosening of restrictions put on business operations. The timeline for gradual business reopening must be determined using public health data, reflecting the number of cases, the level of access to testing, level of PPE (personal protective equipment) available for first responders and healthcare workers, hospital readiness and capacity for local contact-tracing.

It’s clear that while other areas of the state are trying to buck state orders and “open for business” prior to Gov. Tony Evers announcing it’s OK, that won’t happen in Pierce County.

“Local and state orders regarding the phased reopening of businesses must be followed,” according to the health department.

The tool kit starts with a checklist of 16 items covering a sick leave policy for employees and an “active monitoring program that assesses staff for exposure, fever and respiratory symptoms before every shift.”

It also directs business to set a policy limiting the number of customers in the store and making sure six feet of distancing can be done.

Other items on the list include: -“Schedule handwashing for employees.”

-“Implement a no-touch policy for all staff members (no handshakes, hugs or other close contact0.”

Employees are asked to keep an eye out for customers who would be sick. One list item is “Develop policy encouraging employees to be on the lookout for customers exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and how you would like them to handle that situation.”

In retail places, customers need to limited to 25 percent of total occupancy. Larger stores are suggested to stick to four people per 1,000 square feet of floor space, excluding employees.

To limit the number of customers, businesses are asked by Pierce County Public Health to: “Hand out a number, one per vehicle and call numbers one at a time. Numbers could be called out via loudspeaker or displayed on a board.

Direct cars to numbered parking spaces and admit one occupant per vehicle in order, one at a time. Once the store reaches capacity, allow the next vehicle’s occupant to enter only once another customer leaves.

Consider having customers sign up for an arrival time. For example, if 90 households could sign up for an entry time of 9 AM – 10 AM and another 90 households could sign up for an entry time of 10 – 11 AM, this may help curb the flow of traffic into the parking lot. You might consider having one section of the parking lot reserved for those who reserved their arrival time online, and a smaller portion of the parking lot for those who did not and who would have to wait longer.”

Employers are urged to keep a strict sick policy and are suggested to have “daily active monitoring” of employees, who would fill out a form regarding any symptoms at the start of each shift.

Any staff member with a fever or other symptoms of COVID-19 needs to “be excluded from work.”

Also, workers who travelled shouldn’t come to work: “Any staff member who has had non-essential travel, even if it was just through an airport or on a road trip should be excluded from work.”