Considerations For Restaurants And Bars: Cdc Guidelines
Posted: Jun 26, 2020
The following are the considerations for reopening from the CDC. If we all work to follow these we may mitigate the risks associated with increased points of contact with our consumers. Be proactive. A reactive management style these days could cost us a great deal more than our business revenue.
As restaurants and bars resume operations in some areas of the United States, CDC offers the following considerations for ways in which operators can protect employees, customers, and communities and slow the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants and bars can determine, in collaboration with state and local health officials, whether and how to implement these considerations, making adjustments to meet the needs and circumstances of the local community. Implementation should be guided by what is feasible, practical, acceptable, and tailored to the needs of each community. These considerations are meant to supplement—not replace—any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which businesses must comply.
Guiding Principles to Keep in Mind
The more an individual interacts with others, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. The risk of COVID-19 spread increases in a restaurant or bar setting as follows:
Lowest Risk: Foodservice limited to the drive-through, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick up.
More Risk: Drive-through, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick up emphasized. On-site dining limited to outdoor seating. Seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
Even More Risk: On-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating. Seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
Highest Risk: On-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating. Seating capacity not reduced and tables not spaced at least 6 feet apart.
COVID-19 is mostly spread by respiratory droplets released when people talk, cough, or sneeze. It is thought that the virus may spread to hands from a contaminated surface and then to the nose or mouth, causing infection. Therefore, personal prevention practices (such as handwashing, staying home when sick) and environmental cleaning and disinfection are important principles that are covered in this document. Fortunately, there are a number of actions operators of restaurants and bars can take to help lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure and spread.
Promoting Behaviors that Reduce Spread
Restaurants and bars may consider implementing several strategies to encourage behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 among employees and customers.
Staying Home When Appropriate
Educate employees about when they should stay home and when they can return to work.
Actively encourage employees who are sick or have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19 to stay home. Develop policies that encourage sick employees to stay at home without fear of reprisal, and ensure employees are aware of these policies.
Require frequent employee handwashing (e.g. before, during, and after preparing food; after touching garbage) with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and increase monitoring to ensure adherence.
Encourage employees to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Used tissues should be thrown in the trash and hands washed immediately with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious
Anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face-covering without assistance
Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms. Cloth face coverings are not surgical masks, respirators, or personal protective equipment.
Adequate Supplies
Ensure adequate supplies to support healthy hygiene behaviors. Supplies include soap, hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol (placed on every table, if supplies allow), paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, cloth face coverings (as feasible), and no-touch/foot pedal trash cans.
Include messages (for example, videos) about behaviors that prevent the spread of COVID-19 when communicating with vendors, staff, and customers (such as on business websites, in emails, and on social media accounts).
Restaurants and bars may consider several implementing strategies to maintain healthy environments.
Cleaning and Disinfection
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (e.g., door handles, cash registers, workstations, sink handles, bathroom stalls) at least daily, or as much as possible and as required by food safety requirements. Clean shared objects (e.g., payment terminals, tables, countertops/bars, receipt trays, condiment holders) between each use.
Continue to follow all required safety laws, regulations, and rules.
Use products that meet EPA disinfection criteria external icon and that are appropriate for the surface. Allow the disinfectant to remain on the surface for the contact time recommended by the manufacturer.
Establish a disinfection routine and train staff on proper cleaning timing and procedures to ensure the safe and correct application of disinfectants.
Wash, rinse, and sanitize food contact surfaces with an EPA-approved food contact surface sanitizer. If a food-contact surface must be disinfected for a specific reason, such as a blood or bodily fluid cleanup or deep clean in the event of likely contamination with SARS-CoV-2, use the following procedure: wash, rinse, disinfectant according to the label instructions for the disinfectant, rinse, then sanitize with a food-contact surface sanitizer.
Ensure that cleaning or disinfecting product residues are not left on table surfaces. Residues could cause allergic reactions or cause someone to ingest the chemicals.
Develop a schedule for increased, routine cleaning and disinfection.
Ensure safe and correct use and storage of disinfectants to avoid food contamination and harm to employees and other individuals. This includes storing products securely away from children.
Use gloves when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing of trash. Wash hands after removing gloves.
Shared Objects
Discourage the sharing of items that are difficult to clean, sanitize, or disinfect.
Limit any sharing of food, tools, equipment, or supplies by staff members.
Ensure adequate supplies to minimize the sharing of high-touch materials (e.g., serving spoons) to the extent possible; otherwise, limit the use of supplies and equipment by one group of workers at a time and clean and disinfect between use.
Avoid using or sharing items that are reusable, such as menus, condiments, and any other food containers. Instead, use disposable or digital menus, single-serving condiments, and no-touch trash cans and doors.
Use touchless payment options as much as possible, if available. Ask customers and employees to exchange cash or card payments by placing on a receipt tray or on the counter rather than by hand to avoid direct hand to hand contact. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as pens, counters, or hard surfaces between use and encourage patrons to use their own pens.
Use disposable food service items (e.g., utensils, dishes, napkins, tablecloths). If disposable items are not feasible or desirable, ensure that all non-disposable food service items are handled with gloves and washed with dish soap and hot water, or in a dishwasher. Change and launder linen items (e.g., napkins and tablecloths) after each customer or party’s use. Employees should wash their hands after removing their gloves or after handling used food service items.
Avoid the use of food and beverage utensils and containers brought in by customers.
Ventilation
Ensure that ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible, for example by opening windows and doors and prioritizing outdoor seating. Do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk to customers or employees (e.g., risk of falling or triggering asthma symptoms).
Water Systems
To minimize the risk of Legionnaires’ disease and other diseases associated with water, take steps to ensure that all water systems and features (e.g., sink faucets, decorative fountains, drinking fountains) are safe to use after a prolonged facility shutdown.
Modified Layouts and Procedures
Change restaurant and bar layouts to ensure that all customer parties remain at least 6 feet apart (e.g., marking tables/stools that are not for use).
Offer drive-through, curbside take out, or delivery options as applicable. Prioritize outdoor seating as much as possible.
Ask customers to wait in their cars or away from the establishment while waiting to pick up food or when waiting to be seated. Inform customers of food pickup and dining protocols on the business’ website and on posted signs.
Discourage crowded waiting areas by using phone apps, text technology, or signs to alert patrons when their table is ready. Avoid using “buzzers” or other shared objects.
Consider options for dine-in customers to order ahead of time to limit the amount of time spent in the establishment.
Avoid offering any self-serve food or drink options, such as buffets, salad bars, and drink stations.
Physical Barriers and Guides
Install physical barriers, such as sneeze guards and partitions, particularly in areas where it is difficult for individuals to remain at least 6 feet apart. Barriers can be useful in restaurant kitchens and at cash registers, host stands, or food pickup areas where maintaining a physical distance of at least 6 feet is difficult.
Provide physical guides, such as tape on floors or sidewalks and signage, to ensure that individuals remain at least 6 feet apart. Consider providing these guides where lines form, in the kitchen, and at the bar.
Communal Spaces
Close shared spaces such as break rooms, if possible; otherwise, stagger use and clean and disinfect between use.
Maintaining Healthy Operations
Restaurants and bars may consider implementing several strategies to maintain healthy operations.
Protections for Employees at Higher Risk for Severe Illness from COVID-19
Offer options for employees at higher risk for severe illness (including older adults and people of all ages with certain underlying medical conditions) that limits their exposure risk (e.g., modified job responsibilities such as managing inventory rather than working as a cashier, or managing administrative needs through telework).
Be aware of local or state policies and recommendations related to group gatherings to determine if events can be held.
Staggered or Rotated Shifts and Sittings
Rotate or stagger shifts to limit the number of employees in the restaurant or bar at the same time.
Stagger and limit dining times to minimize the number of customers in the establishment.
When possible, use flexible worksites (e.g., telework) and flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts) to help establish policies and practices for social distancing (maintaining distance of approximately 6 feet) between employees and others, especially if social distancing is recommended by state and local health authorities.
Gatherings
Avoid group events, gatherings, or meetings where social distancing of at least 6 feet between people cannot be maintained.
Travel and Transit
For employees who commute to work using public transportation or ride-sharing, encourage them to use transportation options that minimize close contact with others (e.g., walking or biking, driving or riding by car – alone or with household members only) or consider offering the following support:
Allow employees to shift their hours so they can commute during less busy times.
Ask employees to wash their hands as soon as possible after their trip.
Designated COVID-19 Point of Contact
Designate a staff person for each shift to be responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns. All staff members should know who this person is and how to contact them..
Communication Systems
Put systems in place for:
Consistent with applicable law and privacy policies, having staff self-report to the establishment’s point of contact if they have symptoms of COVID-19, a positive test for COVID-19, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19 within the last 14 days in accordance with health information sharing regulations for COVID-19external icon (e.g. see “Notify Health Officials and Close Contacts” in the Preparing for When Someone Gets Sick section below), and other applicable privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations.
Notifying staff, customers, and the public of business closures, and restrictions in place to limit COVID-19 exposure (e.g., limited hours of operation).
Leave (Time Off) Policies
Implement flexible sick leave policies and practices that enable employees to stay home when they are sick, have been exposed, or caring for someone who is sick.
Examine and revise policies for leave, telework, and employee compensation.
Leave policies should be flexible and not punish people for taking time off and should allow sick employees to stay home and away from co-workers. Leave policies should also account for employees who need to stay home with their children if there are school or childcare closures, or to care for sick family members.
Monitor absenteeism of employees, cross-train staff, and create a roster of trained back-up staff.
Staff Training
Train all employees in safety actions.
Conduct training virtually, or ensure that social distancingis maintained during training.
Recognize Signs and Symptoms
Conduct daily health checks (e.g., temperature screening and/or symptom checking) of staff safely and respectfully, and in accordance with any applicable privacy laws and regulations.
Consider using examples of screening methods in CDC’s General Business FAQs as a guide.
Support Coping and Resilience
Promote employees eating healthy, exercising, getting sleep, and finding time to unwind.
Encourage employees to talk with people they trust about their concerns and how they are feeling.
Consider posting signs for the national distress hotline: 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746
Preparing for Sick Employees
Restaurants and bars may consider implementing several strategies to prepare for when someone gets sick.
Make sure that employees know they should not come to work if they are sick, and they should notify their manager or other designated COVID-19 points of contact if they become sick with COVID-19 symptoms, test positive for COVID-19, or have beenexposed to someone with COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 symptoms or a confirmed or suspected case.
Immediately separate employees or customers with COVID-19 symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, shortness of breath). Individuals who are sick should go home or to a healthcare facility, depending on how severe their symptoms are, and follow CDC guidance for caring for oneself and others who are sick.
Clean and Disinfect
Close off areas used by a sick person and do not use these areas until after cleaning and disinfecting them.
Anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious
Anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face-covering without assistance
Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms. Cloth face coverings are not surgical masks, respirators, or personal protective equipment.
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