Webinar advises businesses on reopening
EL CENTRO — While Imperial County is still in Stage 2 of its COVID-19 recovery process, local employers and business owners who are currently closed should take this time to implement precautionary measures inside their facilities.
This was the message that was shared during a webinar Thursday that focused on providing information to closed businesses on how to open a COVID safe work environment for both staff and customers.
The webinar also discussed preventative measures for local businesses that are currently open.
Hosted by the Imperial Valley Business Recovery Task Force, the hour-long webinar was held on Facebook Live at 4 p.m. Thursday, and is still available for viewing on the task force’s Facebook page.
The webinar’s two guest speakers were Dr. Tien Vo, of Vo Medical Center, and Jeff Lamoure, of the Imperial County Public Health Department.
Sean Wilcock, of Imperial Valley Economic Development Corp., and Meredith Garcia, director of the Imperial Valley Small Business Development Center, were hosts.
Dr. Vo reminded viewers to not be in a rush to reopen businesses. He said but focusing on reopening in a safe manner is more important.
Vo noted the most important precaution to follow in a workplace is social distancing.
The physician suggested that businesses have individual work stations, and avoid large gatherings inside an office.
He also suggested the use of face masks within the workplace, and possibly wearing gloves — depending on the amount of customer interaction.
Vo noted that employers need to have hand sanitizer readily available inside the workplace.
He also said testing for COVID-19 is available at both his facilities, which are located in El Centro and Calexico.
Nurse practitioner Venus Nguyen, Dr. Vo’s wife, said the most popular type of testing within the business community has been the nasal mid-turbinate (NMT) swab test.
Results of the swab test typically take two to four days. Since employees need to remain at home as the results are being processed, this can be a challenge for business owners, Nguyen noted.
However, Vo Medical Center currently offers another method that can determine in a more timely manner whether an employee is positive for COVID or not.
The center offers a nasal swab that will test for influenza, with results coming back in 45 minutes.
This method is typically used for those who are showing flu- like symptoms, and will help rule out whether the employee is sick with something other than COVID.
Lamoure, who is deputy director of environmental health for ICPDH, discussed how the county has created a worksite checklist that local businesses can use to ensure they’re doing everything they can to maintain a safe work environment.
That checklist is currently available for download on the county Public Health’s website, www. icphd.org, and a poster version that can be displayed within a workplace is currently being distributed by local chambers of commerce.
According to the statewide guidance for reopening, a worksite specific plan should be created for all businesses, Lamoure said.