The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have released interim guidance to help advise workplaces that are preparing to reopen. The CDC guidance is to help prevent exposures to COVID-19 in non–health care settings (separate guidance is available for health care settings). The OSHA guidance describes how to prepare workplaces for COVID-19 and has separate guidance for protecting employees with a high or very high exposure risk.

It is necessary to collaborate with employees and unions to effectively communicate important COVID-19 information and planned changes and to seek their input.

It is critical to note that older adults (age 65 years or older) and people who have severe underlying medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease or diabetes, seem to be at higher risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19 illness. Employees at higher risk for severe illness should be encouraged to self-identify, and employing offices should avoid making unnecessary medical inquiries.

Employing offices should take action to reduce their workers risk of exposure to COVID-19, while making sure to be compliant with relevant Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) regulations.

While the guidance offered below applies to most workplaces, specific industries may require additional safety precautions (such as health care/child care). The CDC notes: “This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)…. There is much more to learn about the transmissibility, severity, and other characteristics of COVID-19 and investigations are ongoing…. The CDC will update this interim guidance as additional information becomes available” (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html). OSHA has also updated its guidance as more information has become known about the virus.

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Cloth face coverings may slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. The CDC notes: “A cloth face covering may not protect the wearer, but it may keep the wearer from spreading the virus to others”