Be Prepared – Coronavirus Info for Businesses

From Buncombe County Health and Human Services:

While there currently are no cases of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in Buncombe County, N.C. at this time, it is time for all of us to make preparations for its potential arrival. Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) Public Health Preparedness is here as a resource to support your efforts to prevent exposure and spread of acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.

We urge you to consider how you and your organization will respond if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has interim guidance for businesses and employers on planning and responding to COVID-19 that can be found at this link. A range of guidance for educational settings, healthcare settings, large events and work settings can be found here. 

Key points include:  

Actively encourage sick employees to stay home
Emphasize respiratory etiquette (covering coughs and sneezes) and hand hygiene. See link to poster here
Perform routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (doorknobs, phones, workstations, etc.)
Inform employees to take precautions when traveling or attending public events  

If you have additional questions about preparedness planning for your organization, please email us at ready@buncombecounty.org. Your questions will be used to guide our response efforts to meet the needs of our community. 

As a part of our mandated role in protecting public health, BCHHS has policies, plans, procedures, and supplies in place, year-round, to address a range of emerging public health threats. We encourage everyone to follow Buncombe County Government at www.facebook.com/buncombeGov and Buncombe County Health and Human Services at www.facebook.com/BCHHS to stay up to date on local information, guidance, and response.