Restaurants in Washington state will have to keep a log of all their customers once they reopen so they can be tracked for contact with anyone infected with the coronavirus, The Seattle Times reports.
Eight counties have been approved for Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s four-part plan to reopen the state’s businesses: Stevens, Wahkiakum, Skamania, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Columbia, Garfield and Lincoln. In this phase, restaurants will be allowed to reopen at up to 50% capacity, with a limit of five people per table. They would also have to “create a daily log of customers and maintain that daily log for 30 days, including telephone/email contact information, and time in.”
Restaurants will also have to provide hand sanitizer for all staff and patrons, tables must be placed so that guests sit at least six feet apart from those at adjacent tables, and bars, buffets and salad bars will not be permitted.
Businesses also have to ensure their employees’ safety by providing personal protective equipment, maintaining six feet distance between employees and customers, and screening employees for signs or symptoms of the coronavirus at the start of their shifts.
“A site-specific COVID-19 Supervisor shall be designated by the employer at each job site to monitor the health of employees and enforce the COVID-19 job site safety plan,” the guidelines state. “A worker may refuse to perform unsafe work, including hazards created by COVID-19. And, it is unlawful for their employer to take adverse action against a worker who has engaged in safety-protected activities under the law if their work refusal meets certain requirements.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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