FOCUS: One Region releases guidelines for reopening economy

Staff reports  |  New phased guidelines for safely reopening the local economy provide detailed suggestions for small businesses and restaurants shut down for weeks due to coronavirus.

“It does little good for businesses to reopen only to find there is no business,” said Charleston Regional Development Alliance Chairman John Hagerty in a recent press release.  “With the help of One Region’s re|IGNITE phase one plan and industry-specific guidelines, employers can utilize consistent safety precautions and standards appropriate for businesses of all sizes.  Employees and customers need to feel confident their health and safety is paramount. Acting together as One Region, we can reopen quickly, safely, and rebuild our thriving economic and social community.” 

The plan, called re|IGNITE, includes high-level recommendations on how and when to safely reopen in a phased approach along with health care metrics from MUSC and best practice workplace procedures. It also includes guidelines for the food and beverage industry as well as small businesses deciding to reopen. Additional industry-specific guidelines will be released in the coming weeks.

Among guidelines released last week for small businesses are to sanitize high-traffic and contact areas; make sanitizer and disinfectant available; keep cleaning logbooks; adopt social distancing standards; wear masks in customer interactions; and implement employee temperature checks. Read a two-page summary.

Restaurant guidelines are similar, but more detailed, including recommendations on signage, training, food safety, employee safety and customer safety.  Read three pages of recommendations.

The 15-page first phase of the re|IGNITE plan also calls for a business certification system to boost confidence that businesses are safe for consumers.  According to the plan: “We recommend setting up a ‘system for businesses’ that are trained and comply with health protocols. This certification would serve as an incentive for businesses to take health protocols seriously and to instill public confidence in those businesses. We recommend the creation of a searchable, public website where companies taking the pledge are listed. This would be especially useful for consumer-facing companies, giving the public confidence that they are not incurring undue risk by patronizing a business.”

The One Region initiative, launched in 2016, is a collaborative effort for the three-county Charleston area that seeks to build competitiveness, prosperity and inclusion.  Its new re|IGNITE plan is a joint effort of city and county governments, business organizations, nonprofits and hospitals.