Middlesex officials announce checklist in advance of some limited May 14 easing of COVID-19-related restrictions on businesses
Middlesex officials announce by Larry Chowning –
At the May 5 board of supervisors meeting, Pinetop District Supervisor Lud Kimbrough informed the board that the county’s Economic Development and Tourism director Michelle Brown is working with state and local officials on establishing a “business reopening checklist” for non-essential businesses allowed to reopen on Friday, May 15.
On May 7, Brown sent out emails to businesses throughout Middlesex County with guidelines to help “with the transition back into the re-emergence as safely as possible,” wrote Brown.
“Many essential businesses have been open and have been taking careful measures to adhere to state regulations,” she wrote. “Those of you who are reopening your store, restaurant or office space, there are several practical items to think about when creating a safe space for your employees, customers and visitors.”
Brown said that the governor’s Phase One for opening a business requires:
- Social distancing.
- Stringent sanitation and hand washing regularly.
- Crowd control of 10 people or fewer.
- Limits to the number of visitors or patrons inside the building based on square feet.
- Encouraging the wearing of masks.
- Sanitizing entrance and exit doors multiple times per day.
- Providing hand sanitizers within the business.
- Moving towards adaptations for generating revenue to balance reduced sales. An example is online sales.
Middlesex County will be providing businesses with posters to encourage customers to wear masks. “I will share the graphics soon,” said Brown.
“Thank you Middlesex small businesses for hanging in there during this tough time,” she wrote. “We are hoping for a gradual, cautious move forward into recovery safely!”
