COVID-19 Update: Preparedness and Response Plan
COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan
Jody’s Restaurant (Rockford, Michigan)
June 1, 2020 (Revised July 14)
At Jody’s, the health of our employees, customers, and local community is paramount. We strive for exemplary compliance with all the latest guidelines from federal, state, and local authorities, as well as from restaurant associations and the best practices of peer organizations.
We believe that protecting the health of our customers and local community begins with doing everything we can to maintain a healthy staff.
I. Maintaining a Healthy Staff
1. Starting in mid-March, we began:
Actively encouraging employees to stay home if they have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath
Implementing flexible paid sick leave and family care leave
Having the Supervisor sanitize an extensive list of frequently touched surfaces every hour with a Quat Compound, which has been confirmed to kill Corona virus by the Centers for Disease Control
Posting signs and training employees and Supervisors on essential hygiene, including washing hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, wearing fresh gloves, and frequently using hand sanitizer.
2. Starting in late March, we have re-arranged our kitchen plan in order to maintain maximal social distancing—ideally 6 feet—wherever and whenever possible.
3. Starting in mid-April, we have had disposable and cloth face masks available at all times. We initially required employees in closer contact positions to weak masks, and have provided bonuses in order to make mask-wearing habitual throughout much of our staff. While open for inside dining, all employees who can medically tolerate a mask have been required to wear one.
4. Starting in mid-April, all employees have been required to self-screen before entering the building. Beginning in late May, a touch-free thermometer has been available, and employees would be sent home for having a fever of 100.4° or higher.
II. Protecting Our Customers and Community
1. In keeping with Michigan Executive Orders, we switched to Drive-Through only beginning in mid-March.
2. For inside dining service:
Spots have been marked in order to promote social distancing while waiting in line
Large sneeze-guards have been put in place to protect customers and employees at the front counter
Three hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed at key locations
Condiments, silverware, and drinks are provided in the manners that minimize human contact
Dining room capacity has been reduced to 50%, with appropriate social distancing and barriers placed among all remaining booths
All tables and seats are thoroughly washed and sanitized between each guest
Door handles and all touch surfaces in the bathrooms will be sanitized hourly
Signs on each table explain how to exit opposite any entering customers.
III. In the Event of a Positive Corona virus Case
1. If an employee is identified with symptoms while working, we will close the appropriate time needed to thoroughly clean and sanitize all areas which could have been affected. Safe cleaning requires hot water and soap followed by 2/3 cup bleach and one gallon of room temperature water applied in such a way to leave the surface wet for at least a minute.
2. As soon as possible, all employees who worked a shift with the contagious employee will be informed. Based on analysis of our video surveillance, we will inform each of these employees whether they had close contact with the contagious employee. All this will be accomplished while maintaining the privacy of the contagious employee.\
3. If anyone tests positive, within 24 hours we will inform the Kent County Health Department, as well as any suppliers who visited the building while a contagious employee was present.
4. After waiting 24 hours, an experienced and responsible staff will deep-clean the entire restaurant.
5. Each exposed employee who is determined to have been in ‘close contact’ with a positive or likely-to-become-positive person will be directed to self-quarantine and/or get tested for Corona virus, while being placed on paid sick leave. The restaurant will only remain open with workers who were not exposed, or whose test came back negative and are cleared to return to work by a doctor or health department. A self-quarantine period must last at least 14 days.
6. If a customer was likely positive while visiting our restaurant, we will close the dining room until the entire dining room and lobby can be deep-cleaned.
7. If high concentrations of Corona virus were to begin in our Zip Code, we would voluntarily return to Drive-Through only operations.
IV. Our practices and this document have been informed by many sources, including:
Michigan Executive Order 2020-91 (May 2020)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again” (May 2020)
Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA), “Roadmap to Reopening” (May 2020)
US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19”