We can all remember the moment as if it were only yesterday when the country was first ordered to take unprecedented measures and implement strict physical distancing rules. Many businesses switched to remote working. Those that could not had to close down their operations for a brief period. Just as we were returning to the normal day-to-day life we enjoyed before these lockdowns, new challenges associated with our health and safety began to emerge.
Safe reopening is a nationwide priority at this time. With many people returning to the workplace and with restaurants and various other public venues reopening, we have started to see the volume of new cases of COVID-19 grow at an alarming rate. Faced with this new level of threat, the measures businesses can implement to protect their employees and customers alike must go beyond wearing masks, physical distancing, sanitizing, and minimizing surface contacts.
Such steps have become even more imperative since we are heading into the colder season. The fact is that the chances of being infected are simply higher during winter because people are spending more time indoors. During the summer, some businesses had the option of operating outside. However, in such colder weather, most of them will have to operate inside which necessitates an urgent need for even more rigorous testing and employee screening.
With people returning to work, the risk of contracting the virus increases significantly. Some people carry the virus without any symptoms, and some may fail to distinguish it from common flu. Only recently 200 workers from the Golden Gate Fields racetrack tested positive for COVID-19. Out of those 200 people, 95% were asymptomatic. This case demonstrates how quickly and unnoticeably the virus could spread. To prevent something similar from reoccurring, it is up to the employers and business owners to ensure that all possible measures are taken to protect their employees and customers. It is also equally important for the employees to know what symptoms they have to look out for and remain at home if symptoms appear. This calls for implementing new screening measures and performing on-site tests when employees report to work.
