Last week, CDC had issued long-awaited guidelines for restaurants and bars to reopen during this pandemic.
Here is what they recommend and what Phuket has done so far.
Should you consider opening?
✓ Will reopening be consistent with applicable state and local orders? Checked.
✓ Are you ready to protect employees at higher risk for severe illness?
Checked. We allow them to stay home. We'll welcome them back at any time whenever they feel safe.
Are recommended health and safety actions in place?
✓ Promote healthy hygiene practices such as hand washing and employees wearing a cloth face covering, as feasible.
Checked. We do more than they require, actually!
✓ Intensify cleaning, sanitization, disinfection, and ventilation.
Checked. These become our routines. For ventilation, this is the reason why we're open for outside seating only.
✓ Encourage social distancing and enhance spacing at establishments, including by encouraging drive-through, delivery, curbside pick up, a spacing of tables/stools, limiting party sizes and occupancy.
Checked. We continue to encourage people to order delivery and curbside pick up.
✓ Train all employees on health and safety protocols.
Checked.
Is ongoing monitoring in place?
✓ Develop and implement procedures to check for signs
and symptoms of employees daily upon arrival, as feasible.
Checked. The temperature of employees will be checked every day when they first come in.
✓ Encourage anyone who is sick to stay home.
Checked. We'll require them to stay home and will get paid as usual during the sick days.
✓ Plan for if an employee gets sick.
Checked. If any employee is sick with COVID-19, we plan to close the restaurant to quarantine ourselves for 14 days as a responsible entity for our community.
✓ Regularly communicate and monitor developments with local authorities and employees.
Checked. We monitor the situation daily and very closely.
✓ Monitor employee absences and have flexible leave policies and practices.
Checked. They'll get paid during their leave.
✓ Be ready to consult with the local health authorities if there are cases in the facility or an increase in cases in the local area.
Checked. This is very important for us to stay nimble, agile, and resilient. Things could change very quickly.
There are a lot of unknown and uncertainties. We need to be ready to adjust and change. The only constant that we won't change is the quality and the safety of our food and service.
Thank you for your continued support. We couldn't have done it without you!