Texas Reopening Checklist for Retailers

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Health Protocols for Serving Your Customers

Retailers are encouraged to consider dedicating a certain period of time each day for only at-risk customers or deliver purchased goods to vehicles to reduce the need for at-risk customers to enter the store *At-risk customers are those who are 65 or older, especially those with chronic lung disease; moderate to severe asthma; chronic heart disease; severe obesity; diabetes; chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis; liver disease; or weakened immune system
If practical, monitor what items customers touch to clean or disinfect when the customer leaves the retail establishment.
Contactless payment is encouraged. Where not available, contact should be minimized.

Health Protocols for Your Retail Employees and Contractors

Train all employees and contractors on appropriate cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette.
Screen employees and contractors before coming into the retailer:
Send home any employee or contractor who has any of the following new or worsening signs or symptoms of possible COVID-19: - Cough - Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing - Chills - Repeated shaking with chills - Muscle pain - Headache - Sore throat - Loss of taste or smell - Diarrhea - Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit - Known close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19
Do not allow employees or contractors with new or worsening signs or symptoms listed above to return to work until: - In the case of an employee or contractor who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to work when all three of the following criteria are met: at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications); and the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; or - In the case of an employee or contractor who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and does not get evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to work until the individual has completed the same three-step criteria listed above; or - If the employee or contractor has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to work before completing the above self-isolation period, the individual must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis.
Do not allow an employee or contractor with known close contact to a person who is labconfirmed to have COVID-19 to return to work until the end of the 14 day self-quarantine period from the last date of exposure (with an exception granted for healthcare workers and critical infrastructure workers).
Have employees and contractors wash or sanitize their hands upon entering the retailer.
Have employees and contractors maintain at least 6 feet separation from other individuals. If such distancing is not feasible, other measures such as face covering, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, cleanliness, and sanitation should be rigorously practiced.
If a retailer provides a meal for employees and/or contractors, the retailer is recommended to have the meal individually packed for each individual.
Consistent with the actions taken by many retailers across the state, consider having all employees and contractors wear cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth). If available, employees and contractors should consider wearing non-medical grade face masks.

Health Protocols for Your Retail Facilities

If 6 feet of separation is not available between employees, contractors, and/or customers inside the facility, consider the use of engineering controls, such as dividers between individuals, to minimize the chances of transmission of COVID-19.
Regularly and frequently clean and disinfect any regularly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, tables, chairs, and restrooms.
Disinfect any items that come into contact with customers.
Make hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, soap and water, or similar disinfectant readily available to employees, contractors, and customers.
Place readily visible signage at the retailer to remind everyone of best hygiene practices.
For retailers with more than 10 employees and/or contractors present at one time, consider having an individual wholly or partially dedicated to ensuring the health protocols adopted by the retailer are being successfully implemented and followed.
For malls with food court dining operations open, the mall should designate one or more individuals who are responsible for ensuring, on a continuous basis, the following guidelines are followed. The mall should have the name of that individual available upon request.
No tables with more than 6 individuals
At least 6 feet distancing remains between individuals sitting at different tables
Tables are cleaned and disinfected between uses
No condiments or other items are left on the table between customer use