Guidance in this document is related to persons in the food or bar industry and is consistent with return to work guidance for non-healthcare providers. Owners and management should follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, ADPH guidelines, and ADPH Food Establishment Rules (if applicable). Refer to links at the ADPH website.
The following practices are strongly recommended for restaurants, bars and similar establishments:
- Where practical, consider a reservations-only business model or call-ahead seating.
- Adhere to social distancing guidelines in bar areas. Patrons should not be allowed to congregate at the bar.
- Create a plan for and checklist of all surfaces your staff and guests will come in contact with.
- Train your staff on these surfaces and prepare procedures for elevated cleaning and sanitizing of these surfaces.
- Dedicate staff members on each shift to sanitizing surfaces in dining areas and restrooms.
- Use menus that are disposable or sanitized between each use.
- Employees must wear face coverings or masks.
- Patrons who are not eating or drinking should wear face coverings.
- Have hand sanitizer and sanitizing products readily available for employees and guests.
- Designate with signage, tape, or by other means appropriate social distancing spacing for employees and customers. Spacing should be illustrated, as much as possible, in a waiting area, kitchen, back of the house, laundry, and prep area.
- Avoid gathering of guests at entrances and exits and designate appropriate social distancing spacing.
- Use single-use items as much as possible, such as packets of ketchup or salt.
- Do not use communal silverware containers or allow guests to utilize any serving utensil that may be utilized by staff or another guest.
- Persons should not be allowed to fill or refill their own drinks.
- Where practicable, use physical barriers such as partitions or plexiglass at registers.
- Disinfect restrooms and other high-touch areas as often as feasible, but at least every two hours
- If you have questions concerning isolation and quarantine requirements for a patron or employee who has tested positive for COVID-19, please call the Alabama Department of Public Health at 1-800-270-7268.
- The establishment should be cleaned according to CDC Guidelines. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html
- If you are contacted by the Alabama Department of Public Health and notified that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, you will be asked to provide a list with the names and contact information for any staff or patron who came within 6 feet of the positive person for more than 15 minutes when not wearing a face covering or mask.
For staff that have tested positive for COVID 19, a symptom-based strategy (time from onset of symptoms and recovery) is preferred and recommended by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) for release from home quarantine. When selecting a test-based strategy instead of a symptom-based strategy, repeat testing by PCR is contingent upon the availability of adequate testing supplies, the ability of labs to process the specimens in a timely manner, and access to local testing. ADPH does not provide repeat testing for patients who have had COVID 19 and have completed their quarantine. A test-based strategy is not fulfilled by asking an employee for a single negative test before returning to work. Rather, if test-based strategy is selected, a person must have two tests at least 24 hours apart to satisfy the test-based strategy. A single negative test should not be used as a screening tool. According to scientific literature, persons may continue to have a positive PCR test result for weeks or months after they recover. A persistent positive PCR test after serving the quarantine period of 10 to 14 days does not appear to mean that a person can still spread virus. They should wear a face covering, practice social distancing and continue to take all of the precautions currently recommended since there is also currently no evidence of long-term immunity.