SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The City of Sioux Falls has established a Resiliency Team to work with organizations throughout the city to provide education and help with the implementation of directives and best practices specific to COVID-19.
The Supporting Operations and Resiliency (SOAR) plan will help Sioux Falls prevail through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials with the City’s Health and Planning and Development Services departments will work with business and nonprofit leaders on their compliance with City ordinances, state directives, application of best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as innovative approaches to protect the health and safety of employees, clients, and customers.
“As we advance in our COVID-19 response, our goal is to help businesses create work environments where employees can feel safe and still be productive while flattening the curve within a business and within the community,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken. “We are adjusting to a new normal of behavior during this crisis, but we will prevail. By fostering a high level of resiliency, businesses can be sustained and poised for a timely recovery when this pandemic concludes.”
The initial focus areas of the Resiliency Team are large public-facing businesses and densely populated workplaces. The team will consult with organizations and provide CDC guidance for employee and customer safety. This may include employee education support materials, on-site visits, and virtual meetings during which time organization leaders can share best practices and “lessons learned.”
It is important for organizations to comply with CDC guidance, state directives, and local ordinances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically:
- All businesses should check employee and/or visitor temperatures at entry points and deny entry to any person showing a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater.
- All businesses should visually screen shoppers at entry and throughout store. Offer alternative shopping options to those identified as ill such as curbside pickup, delivery and face coverings.
- Customers should be encouraged not to touch or handle any items they do not intend to purchase.
- When possible, organizations should not allow employees to share workstations, phones, and other frequently touched equipment.
- Public-facing employees should consider cloth face coverings if feasible.
- Consider installing barriers between customers and employees at checkout lanes and stations.
- Whenever feasible, allow employees to work from home.
The common principles of good respiratory hygiene, social distancing and staying home if sick remain paramount to slowing the COVID-19 spread.
Guidance documents will also be available at siouxfalls.org/covid-19. New materials are added to the site regularly.
(The City of Sioux Falls contributed this report/news release.)
