Summit County requires businesses to submit plans for social distancing

This is the first week of stepping back out of our homes and into the community under new Public Health Order (PHO) released April 27. The purpose of this letter is to stimulate further dialog as to how quickly and to what degree we continue to re-open our community. As indicated by the recent story “Mental Health Crisis Emerges”, we need to re-engage a community and with each other as quickly as possible. The isolation is clearly taking a greater toll on our overall health than the virus itself. It seems that during this “off-season” we have a unique opportunity as a community to begin interacting in a physically closer, and more frequent way. Not only for our personal well-being, but the viability of our business community as well. The absence of tourists presents an environment of “known quantity”, only local population. It is most likely that a good percentage of Summit residents have contracted the virus and are a-symptomatic. I ask the medical community to help me out here, as my understanding is that some level of resistance is built up in an individual even if they never develop COVID-19 syndrome. Is that right? So it may very well be that we could use this time to practice a controlled exposure and thus develop a strengthened resistance among ourselves. Needless to say, such resistance would be a valuable asset once our tourist economy is gradually re-established. The guidelines in the current PHO are a great starting point. Taking them just a notch or two further as described below, promptly, while we have this valuable time frame before “outsiders” inevitably begin to arrive is an opportunity that should be seriously considered. To be clear, I am Not suggesting that all businesses open their doors and go back to “normal”. Rather, an amount of opening that allows for social interactions that are part of day to day life such as lunch (or glass of wine) out with a friend, the ability to enter a store and shop for specific retail items, and enjoying movies and musical performances. Without masks and gloves. Without 6 feet of separation. And most importantly, Without Suspicion of each other about becoming infected. Sweden appears to be an example of how this could look.
Liz Copan / ecopan@summitdaily.com

DILLON — The restrictions on businesses are beginning to loosen slightly under Summit County’s new public health order, which mirrors Gov. Jared Polis’ “safer at home” executive order.

Nonessential retail businesses were able to reopen for curbside pickup on Monday, April 27, while personal service businesses are able to resume Friday, May 1. Personal service businesses, which include hair and nail salons or dry cleaning services, along with essential businesses like grocery stores are now required under the Summit County public health order to complete a form with plans to implement social distancing protocols. 

The form is five pages long and includes checklists to protect employee health, such as directing anyone who can work from home to do so and requiring symptoms checks for employees prior to entering the workplace. There are also checklists that focus on measures to keep people 6 feet apart, prevent crowds from gathering, increase sanitation, prevent unnecessary contact and reduce exposure in employee transportation. The form can be found at Co.Summit.co.us/coronavirus.

For nonessential business, the form must be completed prior to performing any services. Essential businesses that have remained open throughout the pandemic are required to complete the form by May 4. All businesses must post the form and other required signage at public entrances. 

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Since nonessential retail businesses can sell products only via delivery, window service or curbside pickup, they are not yet required to complete the form but can do so in preparation for reopening in the future.

Tina McGow, owner of Tina’s Mountain Do’s, plans to operate in her salon on her own with one client at a time. She said that while she has clients scheduled for May 1, she might postpone operations until May 8 because she is concerned about people’s health as she has clients older than 65. 

“I’m not feeling comfortable because of the safety issues with the numbers going up,” McGow said, referring to the uptick in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county. “I want everybody to be safe.”

Bona Dea, owner of Silverthorne’s A New Concept Salon & Boutique, plans to start seeing clients May 1 and will rotate herself and other hairdressers throughout the week with one hairdresser and one client at a time. Dea said she feels there has been a lack of information about the updated public health order, noting that she wasn’t sure how all of the protocols would work in a hair salon. 

“I don’t know how they expect our clients to wear masks,” Dea said. “I guess they could hold them up to their face. With wearing gloves, I just don’t see the point. At least we’re getting open. I guess it’s going to be a ‘try and see what happens.’”

via:: Summit Daily