As Businesses Reopen Health First Fully Prepared to Keep Customers, Associates Safe

At Health First, steps were implemented weeks ago to help protect patients

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – On June 5, most areas of Florida entered Phase 2 of reopening. As the state continues to ease restrictions on businesses, allowing full- or limited-capacity reopening, business operators will need to develop plans for keeping employees and customers safe.

One of the first steps is deciding when to reopen.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) decision tool is designed to help businesses make reopening decisions, outlining critical workplace considerations for safely resuming on-site operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For businesses preparing to open, or those that are already open, the CDC outlines a range of steps to take to safeguard employees and customers:

▪ Encouraging employees to frequently wash their hands and use hand sanitizer
▪ Regularly cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces such as tables, light switches, handrails, doorknobs, counter tops and desks
▪ Establishing social distancing policies and practices. Companies should limit the number of employees and customers in any one area and use floor markings to delineate 6-feet distances.
▪ Monitoring state and local public health updates on COVID-19 and keeping employees updated with any information needed to comply with guidelines
▪ Providing masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees to wear while working.

“It is important for Florida businesses to take action to open safely and sustainably. Steps like these can help maintain a healthy workplace and better protect our communities,” said Dr. Anthony Barile, Health First’s Infectious Disease Medical Director. “We all need to be proactive and do our part to help reduce the spread of this disease.”

At Health First, steps were implemented weeks ago to help protect patients, visitors and associates from respiratory illness.

These include:

▪ Stringent cleaning and sanitation standards throughout the Integrated Delivery Network
▪ A universal masking policy at all clinical facilities, for both providers, associates and visitors
▪ Social distancing measures to keep people six feet apart, including blocking off select seating to ensure this
▪ An abundance of hand sanitizing stations located throughout hospitals, clinical locations and more
▪ Plexiglas partitions at registration areas and other spaces where associates wait on customers and patients
▪ The ability for some associates to work from home, if appropriate in the scope of their duties

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