As I’m sure you’re all aware, confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported in dozens of countries around the world, including in the U.S. In the coming days and weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects more cases to be identified and continue to spread.
We’ve recently been asked by several clients for information and guidance, so we thought we’d share what we’ve learned at this stage with all of you.
If you and your teams have not already begun to prepare for the potential impact on your business, and your franchisees’ businesses, we recommend doing so immediately. CDC issued interim guidance for businesses and employers to plan for and respond to COVID-19, which you can find here. We strongly recommend reviewing this guidance closely and sharing it with your corporate and field teams. CDC is continuing to provide updates via its website, so continue to check www.CDC.gov for the latest guidance.
While the immediate health risk to Americans is considered low, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, CDC recommends taking similar precautions to those taken during flu season. This includes:
- Educating employees on the symptoms of COVID-19, as well as how it spreads
- Actively encouraging sick employees to stay home
- Separating sick employees from other employees, if they must be in your business
- Following proper cough and sneeze etiquette, as well as hand hygiene.
- Routinely cleaning all frequently touched surfaces (e.g. workstations, countertops, doorknobs) and provide disposable wipes to employees.
- Advising employees on COVID-19-related travel restrictions
We also strongly recommend taking the necessary steps to ensure people associated with your brand are not making any assumptions about their risk of exposure to COVID-19 based on the race or country of origin of a fellow employee or customer. Unfortunately, there has been a spread of racism and xenophobia surrounding the virus, with Asians and Asian Americans feeling the brunt of the discrimination. This is unfounded.
Please remember that Fish is here to support you through this time. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or would like to discuss any specific impact on your business.
