Idaho Rebounds: Stage 1 and Beyond

4/29/2020

Idaho Rebounds: Stage 1 and Beyond

As the State of Idaho prepares to move to the next stage of Idaho Rebounds: Our Path to Prosperity, the Twin Falls Area Chamber of Commerce has compiled essential resources for you and your business to prepare for re-opening, to ensure safeguards to protect your employees and your patrons, to reduce the risks associated with the COVID-19 Coronavirus, and to chart a course for economic recovery.

Below, you’ll find information and links to official guidance from the Governor’s office and public health experts on the steps you need to take NOW to be ready for re-opening at the appropriate stage of Idaho Rebounds. The Chamber staff and our partners with the City of Twin Falls Economic Development Department and Southern Idaho Tourism stand ready to work with you one-one-one, as needed, to develop and implement plans.

To see the full Idaho Rebounds plan and guidance, visit https://rebound.idaho.gov/

Governor Little will hold a press conference on Thursday, April 30 at 11:00am in which he’s expected to announce the move to Stage 1 of the plan. If this is the case, these are the critical components of preparation for personal responsibility and business operations beginning on Friday, May 1:

All Stages – individuals should continue to:

• Engage in physical distancing of at least six feet
• Wear face coverings in public places
• Stay home if sick
• Practice good hand hygiene
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Disinfect surfaces and objects regularly

STAGE 1 PROTOCOLS

Businesses should use the following protocols as they prepare to open their doors on May 1:

Businesses opening their doors on May 1 should have an operational plan in place to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19. The plans do not need to be submitted for review or approval. However, to ensure consumer confidence, businesses are encouraged to make their plans available to the public.

Establish a protocol to maintain the six (6) foot physical distancing requirements for employees and patrons.

• Consider the use of telework to limit the number of employees in the facility during business hours when vendors and patrons might be present.
• Consider staggering work hours for those who must be present in the business.

Identify how the business will provide adequate sanitation and personal hygiene for employees, vendors and patrons.

• Identify how the business will provide for disinfection of the business and regular cleaning, especially of high touch surfaces.
• Identify how personal use items such as masks, face coverings and gloves shall be worn, if necessary, for employees, vendors, and patrons.
• The businesses may require, and it is encouraged, that employees, vendors and patrons wear face coverings as a business practice.

Identify how the business will provide services limiting close interactions with patrons such as, but not limited to:

• Online, digital or telephonic ordering
• Curbside pickup
• Delivery
• Establishing hours of operations for vulnerable populations
• Limiting numbers of patrons in the business at a time
• Directing the flow of traffic in the business
• Use of signage and barrier protection to limit movement and maintain distancing

Identify strategies for addressing ill employees, which should include requiring COVID-19 positive employees to stay at home while contagious and may include restricting employees who were directly exposed to the COVID-19 positive employee, as well as the closure of the facility until it can be properly disinfected.

On a case-by-case basis, include other practices such as screening of employees for illness and exposures upon work entry, requiring non-cash transactions, etc.

The State of Idaho has developed specific protocols for these individual operations. Click the title to link to the protocol document:

• Stage 1 Protocols for Youth Activities
• Stage 1 Protocols for Daycare
• Stage 1 Protocols for Places of Worship

The Idaho Rebounds plan will progress to future stages as long as specific public health criteria are met. The Idaho Division of Public Health and the Governor’s Coronavirus Working Group will review the criteria every two weeks to assess if criteria are met, or continue to be met, so Idaho can move to the next stage. To advance to the next stage, all criteria must be met. If the criteria indicate trends are beginning to move the wrong direction, or there is evidence that a stage has adversely impacted rates, stages may have to be extended or reversed.

STAGE 2 PROTOCOLS

IN STAGE 2, if criteria are met, in addition to businesses that have opened in Stage 1, the following specific industries may be able to open:

• Restaurant dining rooms can open IN STAGE 2 once their plans have been submitted for approval by local public health districts. South Central Public Health has developed a planning template to help restaurants and other food establishments prepare for dining room service in Stage 2. You can find the document as well as other guidance on re-opening on their website at https://www.phd5.idaho.gov/coronavirus-resources/. Restaurants are welcome to contact their local inspector or the Twin Falls Office (208-737-5900 or food@phd5.idaho.gov) if they have questions.
• Indoor gyms and recreation facilities can open if ability to meet business protocols
• Hair salons open if ability to meet business protocols.

Additional specific templates and guidance will be developed for other industries in future stages. We’ll be sure to share those as they become available.

Again, the Chamber continues to be here for you as an essential resource for your planning and execution of business plans to ensure the health of our community and compliance with official orders. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance!

Shawn Barigar, President & CEO – shawn@twinfallschamber.com phone: 208-316-2956

Kathleen Hite, Operations & Communications – kathleen@twinfallschamber.com phone: 208-293-4934

Megan Fleshman, Member Services – megan@twinfallschamber.com phone: 208-749-0307

Chamber phone: 208-733-3974

Below is some information that we hope you find helpful in the coming weeks as you hear from businesses needing assistance.