Additional Information Regarding COVID-19
The City of Dickinson Office of Emergency Management continues to work internally and with other external entities to monitor local and regional impacts associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Our office encourages all citizens and businesses to follow the recommended precautions and guidelines to do their part to help stop the spread of this virus. Click here for more information on COVID-19 and steps you can take to help prevent its spread.
Below are links to CDC webpages containing Coronavirus guidance for families and businesses, and instructions for proper disinfecting.
Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf
CDC Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communitie
s
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html
CDC Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html
CDC Preparing Communities on the Possible Spread of COVID-19
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/preparing-communities.html
SBA Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID-19
https://www.sba.gov/page/guidance-businesses-employers-plan-respond-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
World Health Organization: Getting Your Workplace Ready for COVID-19
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/getting-workplace-ready-for-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=359a81e7_6
Handwashing & Glove Use for Food Workers
https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1334.pdf
CDC Steps to Prevent Illness
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fprevention-treatment.html
CDC Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html
For Businesses that Handle Money
- You should wash your hands regularly, including any time after handling money, especially if you’re eating or touching food.
- COVID-19 doesn’t spread by penetrating the skin on your hands
- Getting coronavirus, or other respiratory viruses like influenza, on your hands only leads to infection when it is transferred from your hand to places like your mouth, nose or eyes
- Additionally, if you stick to contactless payments but don’t wash your hands after touching your phone, credit card or a payment terminal, you are still susceptible to potential infection
- Given this, the best measure you can take to prevent the spread of germs is hand-washing. If your job requires that you handle money (or any other potentially contaminated surface), it’s important to be diligent about washing your hands and not touching your face
- If you want to wear disposable gloves, it’s still a good idea to change them and wash your hands between touching money and preparing food or doing anything else. Otherwise you’re just spreading germs with your gloves instead of your hands.
- You should also wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after going to the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing, according to the Centers for Disease Control. (Using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is recommended if you can’t wash your hands.)
- The CDC suggests that you also clean and disinfect anything else that you tend to touch a lot using a regular cleaning spray or wipe.
Best Practices for Locations Accepting Cash or Other Payments
- Move the credit card machines out to the ledge or area where the customer can run the card themselves. This limits staff exposure of the card or machine.
- Remind staff to wash their hands at minimum of once an hour. If handling cash or payments, wash hands thoroughly after each time of handling any money or payments. If you utilize gloves, when done dispose of the gloves in a single trash container and wash your hands thoroughly.
- Keep your area clean, wiped down and disinfected. Your area should be wiped down and disinfected at minimum once a day. If a customer or staff appears ill this should be done upon their exit of your building or area.