AKRON, Ohio — As the number of total COVID-19 cases in Ohio inches above 33,000 and businesses continue to re-open their doors, health officials now require employers to report any positive cases to their local health department.
“By everybody reporting to us, we can link potential cases to each other and make sure there is no outbreak,” said Donna Skoda the commissioner of the Summit County Public Health Department.
The department has made reporting a bit easier for businesses.
There’s a link on the department’s website that provides step by step instructions when it comes to reporting a positive case.
Skoda said that in Summit County, they will work with the business after someone tests positive, giving them cleaning guidance and assessing who else may have come into contact with that positive case and may have to quarantine.
“Let’s say we found out that two employees were working on an project together and they were in a conference room together, a closed room for 3 or 4 hours, we would strongly suggest that that second employee also goes home and gets quarantined,” said Skoda.
She said the goal is not to shut businesses down, but to help keep them open.
“We are reopening with the assumption and the promise that people were going to do as much as they humanely could to stop the spread,” she said. “The last thing that employer needs is a whole bunch of people in their business getting sick because then they will have to shut down.”
Summit County Public Health said there are five protocols all businesses should follow.
Require face coverings for employees and recommend them for clients/customers at all times.
Conduct daily health assessments by employers and employees (self-evaluation) to determine if “fit for duty.”
Maintain good hygiene at all times – hand washing, sanitizing and social distancing.
Clean and sanitize workplaces throughout workday and at the close of business or between shifts.
Limit capacity to meet social distancing guidelines.
Establish maximum capacity at 50% of fire code and use appointment setting where possible to limit congestion.
The link to report a positive COVID-19 case is here.
