Marshall County Health Department leaders are working with restaurant owners, and industry and community leaders to start working on preparedness plans for when the economy resumes.
Health Administrator Ashley Garcia told the Marshall County Commissioners Monday morning that she and Health Officer Dr. Byron Holm visited with representatives last week.
Garcia commented, “We’re basically trying to formulating our preparedness plans and get ideas from the inside minds in the industries that we’re going to be opening up so that we can formulate best practices in order to ensure that everybody is going to follow the rules. We may be gaining insight that we otherwise wouldn’t have considered.”
She said Hoosier Tire officials are taking particular steps in terms of social distancing methods.
“They even took steps to close off every other bathroom stall and closing off every other sink in the bathroom and that’s something that I didn’t even consider. That’s something that we’re going to encourage people to implement.”
Restaurant servers will be required to wear masks when the six-foot social distancing method can’t be accomplished. More provisions in plans will be set forth in the near future.
Garcia said she hopes to work with industry leaders to include the ability to retool equipment to meet the needs of the current emergency situation. A design on how that would be implemented may be included in the proposed preparedness plans.
Garcia also noted that many restaurant owners weren’t aware of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act which requires certain employers provide their employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons due to COVID-19. It is valid until the end of the year. Garcia said she’s getting information out to all owners.
