Senior Environmental Health Officer, Mrs. Isabella John expressed that officers within the Environmental Health Department continue to give support to the Ministry of Health, Wellness and New health Investment in ensuring that business places and work places are in compliance with the health and safety protocols that were established.
According to her, “Officers have been doing daily visits to business places and work places that are currently open.” She explained that the health and safety protocols have been established at various business places such as barbershops, hair salons, spas, pedicure and manicure facilities, gyms, gaming establishments, restaurants, churches among other places, to ensure that the health of all employees and customers are safeguarded.
It is noteworthy that businesses such as barbershops, hair salons, spas and others of this nature, must obtain a certificate of approval to operate. John pointed out, “To date, twenty-five barbershops, thirteen spas, forty-eight hair salons and twenty-one manicure and pedicure facilities have been given certificates of approval to operate.”
John expressed that business places and work places have been advised that the adherence of all protocols is key to the fight against Covid-19. Therefore, these establishments ought to implement signage to encourage social distancing, install hand sanitizing dispensers or hand washing units to encourage hand hygiene and promote respiratory etiquette especially the wearing of masks. Persons have also been advised to ensure that all signs are visible upon entrance.
Moreover, in the interest of maintaining social distancing protocols, business owners have been encouraged to create an appointment log. With respect to appointments, there must be an adequate time spacing between each customer to allow the business owner(s) to sanitize the work space and the equipment. All work stations must be six (6) feet apart.
Additionally, John mentioned that restaurants which are not able to comply with the social distancing protocols because of the small nature of their structures, must operate by take-out and delivery only. Employees are also urged to obtain food handlers permit, wear their hair nets at all times as well as ensure that they wear their masks.
Significantly, persons at the barbershops are only permitted to remove their face masks for the shaving of their beard or mustache. Similarly, at restaurants, persons are only allowed to remove their face masks at the time of eating.
John stresses that the business places have the responsibility of ensuring that all employees have an idea of the cleaning and sanitizing guidelines. Likewise, employees experiencing flu like symptoms should not report to work under any circumstances.
Most importantly, the responsibility lies with each business place and workplace to safeguard themselves and others. The fight against Covid-19 is not a unilateral one but a collective one.
