Boulder County businesses are being advised on how to reopen

Many Boulder County businesses are just days away from reopening and there is a lot to learn. That's why Boulder County Public Health is holding webinars and providing online information to give them a safe path forward. "We are in a complex and ever-changing landscape and it is tough to keep track of," said Zac Swank of Boulder County Public Health in a recent webinar hosted by the Boulder Small Business Development Center.

Boulder County delayed its full participation in Colorado's new guidelines called Safer at Home that went into place on April 26. The county cited increasing cases of COVID-19 and lack of access to testing as primary reasons for waiting until May 8.

The health department has been using that time to work with business groups to prepare and educate businesses on new guidelines and best practices that vary by industry.

During a recent SBDC webinar, Swank said the health department has teamed up with the Boulder Chamber of Commerce to create a "compliance checklist tool" to help businesses reopen under the Safer at Home guidelines. The checklist is organized into industries that are changing under this phase of reopening: retail, field services, personal services, limited health care, office-based businesses and manufacturing.

"The purpose of the checklist is to be a tool and an aid to businesses that are navigating these complex regulations and evaluate whether or not they are meeting the regulations," Swank said. "The intent is to simplify that for them."

The checklist tool is voluntary, but complying with the regulations is not. Businesses that participate in the checklist program can get a poster in English and Spanish that says they are following state and county public health orders. Swank said it can be displayed for customers and employees as a way of instilling confidence that the business is at least attempting to follow public health orders.

One of the troubling questions facing businesses is how to be in compliance with sanitation procedures when supplies like wipes, hand sanitizer, masks, gloves and gowns are scarce. Swank said the county is compiling a list of potential sources but encouraged businesses to do everything they can on their own. "It will remain a challenge for everyone and will probably get worse before it gets better," he said.

Enforcement of the new regulations will be complaint-based and start with educating the business. Swank said businesses are eager to do the right thing. "We have seen and experienced an overwhelming desire to follow the orders and protect public health. We thank our business community for keeping that in mind first and foremost."

If an employee does get sick with COVID-19, Swank asked businesses to report that to the health department. If two employees get sick, he said the state requires that the business report it. He said the county has a team of epidemiologists that will work with the business on how to handle the situation and safely move forward.

One attendee of the webinar asked if retailers could keep customers out of the store if they aren't wearing a mask. "It's kind of like 'no shirt, no shoes'. If you make that a requirement of your business, 'no mask' is now in that list," Swank said.

There were also questions about how to hold events. Only 10 people can attend a gathering under this phase of reopening. But Swank said that number could inch upward in the coming months depending on the number of COVID-19 cases and the ability to do widespread testing, which has been a challenge. "Everyone is working on getting more testing," he said.

Swank said the health department has been getting a lot of questions about summer camps. A lot of parents depend on them for child care when they go to work. He said the county is working with partners on the state level to develop consistent guidelines for camps across Colorado.

"We appreciate that day camps are a version of child care," he said. "We understand there is a desire and need to get an answer. We're pushing for that." Certain safety practices would have to be put in place by day camp operators, he said, and overnight camps will be more challenging to open since they would have higher contagion risks.

The move to Safer at Home is a step forward, but Swank said it doesn't mean the threat has disappeared. "Covid is just as contagious as it was in April, as it was in March. The overarching message is we still need to stay home as much as possible."

He stressed that when people do need to go to work or appointments, or when they shop, they need to continue washing hands, wearing masks and social distancing. "People are understandably antsy and they want to get back to life as normal but right now this is our normal," he said.

As the definition of normal continues to shift for businesses, employees and customers, the health department will partner with the Boulder Chamber to conduct free webinars to keep businesses up to date on regulations and best practices. SBDC is also continuing its webinar series and provides recordings of past webinars.

Boulder County Public Health and the state of Colorado also have information for businesses and citizens online.