SHAWANO, WI – Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department is providing additional guidelines to help citizens and businesses make decisions about your upcoming activities and operations.
Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department will also monitor local data related to COVID-19 testing rates, number & rate of positive cases, hospital capacity, contact tracing capacity, and availability of personal protective equipment.
“Although more places may be reopening, COVID-19 has not gone away and we must still continue to take precautions to protect ourselves, our families, and our
community”, said Vicki Dantoin, Health Officer.
The guidelines are listed below and are broken up into categories of overall safety, group gatherings, public spaces, business, places of worship and travel.
The Shawano-Menominee County Health Department is still urging people to take the same safety percautions that they have been.
“Even though Stay at Home is not a thing officially anymore, we still want people to stay home if they are sick, cover coughs, wash their hands often and consider wearing masks.”
The health department is urging people to stay at least 6 feet apart between people at all times. It is still recommended to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people at time. In addition, large outdoor gatherings such as fairs, carnivals, festivals, or parades should not be held at this time.
Businesses are urged to limit the number of people in their business to 25 percent occupancy, hold meetings virtually and post signage to direct staff and customers on what to do.
Stores that sell food are being recommended to not have self serve stations and for restaurants to not run operations like salad bars, buffets or beverage stations.
Gyms and Fitness centers are advised to offer cleaning materials for customers so they can clean the equipment before and after use.
Businesses that offer lodging are urged to close pools and hot tubs and places of worship are urged to operate at 25 percent normal occupancy.
Travel is still not advised and for those that do travel, they are advised to self quarantine for 14 days.
“Make sure where you go, you feel comfortable with they are doing to help protect you and their employees.”
SAFETY– All individuals should take precautions when leaving their homes.
-Maintain physical distancing of 6 feet between individuals.
-Wash hands often
-Cover coughs
-Frequently clean high touch surfaces and objects
-Consider wearing a face mask in public, in gatherings, workplaces, or where it is difficult to maintain physical distance.
Sick or symptomatic individuals should take additional precautions.
-Stay home as much as possible
-Do not go to work or school
-Wear a face covering if out in public.
-Follow public health quarantine and isolation guidelines when
needed
In addition, vulnerable individuals should practice extra precautions. Those who are vulnerable include: people over 65 years of age, pregnant women, people in long term care facilities, people with compromised or weak immune systems, and people with serious underlying health conditions (heart, lung, liver, or kidney
conditions; diabetes, obesity, asthma). Vulnerable individuals should stay home as much as possible. Household members of vulnerable individuals should be aware that they may carry the virus home and should isolate from vulnerable individuals. Individuals who are homeless or feel unsafe at home should seek shelter
at a safe location.
GATHERINGS– Gatherings include any indoor or outdoor group gathering of people who are not maintaining at least 6 feet of space between people at all times.
Gatherings also include any individuals in a confined space, but do not include individuals living in the same
household, but individuals should be counted separately if gathered with non-household members.
-Gatherings of more than 10 individuals should be avoided at this time.
-Businesses, places of worship, health care operations, public health operations, human services operations, essential infrastructure operations, and government functions are not subject to gathering limitations.
-Large outdoor gatherings such as fairs, carnivals, festivals, or parades should not be held at this time.
PUBLIC SPACES
-Child care settings and K-12 schools should continue to follow guidelines from the Department of Health Services and the Department of Public Instruction.
-Summer camps and summer schools should be closed until further notice.
-Libraries and community centers should follow the requirements of businesses.
BUSINESSES
-Businesses should limit the number of individuals in the business to 25% of the total occupancy at this time.
-Businesses should continue to limit the number of staff and customers as much as possible and maintain 6 feet of distance.
-A business toolkit with additional business guidelines is available on the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department website.
– A separate set of business and industry specific guidelines is also available on the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department
website. It is also recommended to follow the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Reopen Guidelines for your specific industry.
a. Offer online or virtual services, including for meeting with clients, providing
counsel, or other professional services.
b. Hold meetings and collaborate online or by phone.
c. Alternate work teams or stagger shifts.
d. Limit people on the premises to no more than is strictly necessary to perform the business operation.
e. Even if staff are physically present at the business premises, use online or phone meeting to avoid staff congregating in offices, conference rooms, or shared
spaces.
f. To the extent possible, increase airflow in work areas and conduct in-person meetings outside or in large open spaces.
g. Increase standards of facility cleaning and disinfection of all areas. This should include an emphasis on high-touch areas such as door handles, railings,
restrooms, buttons, touch screens, office equipment, tools, shared vehicles, payment devices or cash registers, and counters. Businesses should adopt
protocols to clean and disinfect the premises in the event of a positive COVID-19 case in the workplace.
h. Post signage in languages understood by your employees and customers reminding staff and customers of safe business practices, social distancing
requirements, hand hygiene, and cough/sneeze etiquette.
i. Where possible, offer curbside pick-up, curbside drop-off, and delivery of goods and services and consider offering online or phone payments, appointments, andreservations.
j. Cease door-to-door solicitation.
k. Consider requiring face coverings for staff or customers, providing face coverings to staff and customers, and establish cleaning protocols for the coverings
between each use, as well as implementing training for the proper use of any recommended personal protective equipment.
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
STORES THAT SELL FOOD OR GROCERIES:
1. Stores that sell food or groceries, including grocery stores, bakeries, farm and produce
stands, supermarkets, food banks and food pantries, convenience stores, and other
establishments engaged in the retail sale of groceries, prepared food, alcoholic and
non-alcoholic beverages should:
a. Cease any self-service operations, such as salad bars, beverage stations, and
buffets.
b. Except for grocery stores, prohibit customers from self-dispensing all
unpackaged food.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
1. Encourage pick-up and delivery options.
2. Cease any self-service operations such as salad bars, beverage stations, and buffets.
3. Prohibit customers from self-dispensing any unpackaged food or beverage.
4. Space tables at least six feet apart. Limit each table to a maximum of six guests. At bar
areas, maintain at least six feet between each stool. Require customers to use seating
options and close any area that is standing-only.
5. Staff should use gloves to avoid bare hand contact with food or unwrapped single-use
items such as straws, stir sticks, or toothpicks.
6. Play areas and lounge areas should remain closed.
RETAIL STORES, RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND GROCERY STORES:
1. Businesses should limit the number of individuals in the business (including employees)
to 25% of the total occupancy limit established by the local municipality.
2. Retail stores larger than 50,000 square feet should offer at least two hours per week of
dedicated shopping time for vulnerable individuals.
3. Businesses should establish lines outside to regulate entry, with markings indicating
where customers should stand to remain six feet apart from one another while waiting to
enter. Businesses should also offer alternatives to lines, including allowing customers to
wait in their cars for a text message or phone call and scheduling pick-ups or entries to
the store.
4. To the extent possible, businesses should use floor markings to indicate traffic patterns,
one-way aisles, and six feet of social distancing in lines and areas where customers and
staff may congregate.
5. Malls may open for retail. Seating, play areas, and other areas where individuals
congregate that are outside a retail establishment should be closed and clearly marked
as closed.
SALONS AND SPAS
1. Salons and spas, including hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, day spas, electrolysis
providers, waxing salons, eyebrow-care establishments, tattoo and piercing parlors,
body art establishments, and tanning facilities. Such businesses should:
a. Clean and disinfect all tools, combs, chairs, and countertops after each customer
or client.
b. Use non-porous materials to cover chairs or tables where customers or clients
receive services. Clean the non-porous material after each customer or client.
c. Use clean capes and towels for each customer or client. Launder capes and
towels by washing and drying on the highest temperature setting.
d. Limit the number of individuals in the business (including employees) to 25% of
the total occupancy limit established by the local municipality.
e. Space customer or client chairs, tables, or stations at least 6 feet apart from each
other.
GYMS AND FITNESS CENTERS
1. Gyms, fitness centers, and similar facilities should:
a. Provide materials for members to disinfect equipment before and after exercise
at each piece of equipment or station.
b. Increase frequency of cleaning of all equipment, common areas, locker rooms,
and restrooms.
c. To the extent possible, space equipment at least six feet apart, especially for
treadmills and other high-exertion aerobic fitness equipment.
d. Limit the number of individuals in the facility (including employees) to 25% of the
total occupancy limit established by the local municipality.
e. Use floor markings to indicate spacing of individuals, particularly in areas where
individuals congregate or cluster including drinking fountains, the front desk or
reception area, and cleaning stations.
f. Offer group exercise classes if social distancing can be maintained at all times
and there is no person-to-person contact.
g. Team sports and other activities where social distancing cannot be maintained
should be prohibited.
h. Saunas and steam baths should be closed or limited to one individual or family
unit at a time and cleaned between each use.
PLACES OF AMUSEMENT AND ACTIVITY
1. Places of amusement and activity, including amusement parks, carnivals, water parks,
licensed public or private swimming pools, aquariums, zoos, museums, arcades, fairs,
children’s play centers, funplexes, theme parks, bowling alleys, movie theaters,
theaters, concert and music halls, and golf courses should:
a. To the extent possible, all reservations and payments should be made in
advance online or by phone.
b. Tee times, appointments, performances, shows, or other scheduled events
should be scheduled to ensure that social distancing can be maintained between
all individuals at all times.
c. Businesses should limit the number of individuals on the premises (including
employees) to 25% of the total occupancy limit established by the local
municipality.
d. Seating, stations, or recreational areas should be spaced to ensure at least six
feet of social distancing between each individual.
e. High touch areas including door handles, rides, railings, buttons, games, touch
screens, and equipment should be disinfected between each use. If it is not
possible to do so, the area should be closed.
LODGING
1. Lodging, including hotels, motels, campgrounds, B&B, and vacation rentals.
a. Close swimming pools, hot tubs, and exercise facilities.
b. Prohibit guests from congregating in lobbies or other common areas, including
providing adequate space to adhere to social distancing while queuing for front
desk services.
c. Adopt cleaning protocols for guest rooms and common areas based on WEDC
guidelines. Provide training for housekeeping associates for proper handling of
linens and cleaning/disinfecting supplies and provide appropriate personal
protective equipment.
d. Schedule at least 24-hour gaps in the use of rooms between guests.
e. Follow other recommendations regarding restaurants and bars above.
MANUFACTURING, WAREHOUSES, AND WHOLESALE TRADES
1. Review processes and workflow to ensure employees are at least six feet apart as often
as possible.
2. To the extent possible, stagger breaks and arrange the break areas and locker rooms to
ensure social distancing.
3. To the extent possible, use nonporous physical barriers to separate employees with
work locations that are less than six feet apart.
4. Use floor markings to direct worker traffic and create one-way hallways.
PLACES OF WORSHIP
-It is recommended that places of worship limit the number of individuals on the premises to 25% of the total occupancy.
-6 feet of distancing between individuals who are not in the same household should be followed.
-Additional safety and cleaning protocols are strongly encouraged and consider following CDC guidelines for faith based communities.
TRAVEL
-Individuals are strongly encouraged to remain close to home and avoid unnecessary travel when possible.
-Maintain physical distancing as much as possible when using public transportation. Use of masks on public transportation is encouraged.
– It is recommended that you complete a 14 day quarantine after travelling outside of your regular home and workplace area.
These guidelines may be subject to change as the COVID-19 situation evolves and the health department will inform of any changes. Changes to these guidelines willbe influenced by the state’s progress toward Badger Bounce Back gating criteria.
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