Denver business leaders are urging employers to have plans in place, including having people work from home, to keep their businesses going if the coronavirus keeps spreading.
Up the road in Boulder, Google recommended that the more than 1,300 employees there and across the country work from home to slow the spread of the disease. The tech giant previously gave employees in New York and California the option of working remotely and had recommended workers in Washington, hit hard by what has become a global threat, work from home.
The Downtown Denver Partnership hosted a briefing Wednesday with city health experts to update business people and answer their questions.
“We are seeking to balance a number of things, certainly public health. But also, we’re seeking to make sure throughout all of that, we retain a resilient economy,” said Tami Door, the organization’s president and CEO.
State officials said the number of patients in Colorado infected with the virus rose to 33 on Wednesday.
Danica Lee, director of the public health inspections division at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, said the agency is visiting restaurants to talk about prevention.
“What we’re asking all food facilities to do, and what we would really love to ask more broadly all businesses to do, is to post information at the entrance of your business reminding people about hand washing,” Lee said. “These reminders for the general public, especially before eating, are really important.”
The department is encouraging all businesses to sanitize and disinfect frequently, especially countertops, door knobs and other things people touch a lot. Health officials are also reinforcing the requirement that any workers who are ill can’t handle food.
There will be restrictions for buffets, including that gloves be made available for customers to use.
Lee said the department is also reaching out to people who own and run large venues. Denver hasn’t taken the kinds of steps seen in other places, like the ban announced Wednesday on gatherings and events of more than 250 people in the Seattle metro area.
However, Lee said those considered at high risk of being infected should avoid attending events where there are a lot of people.
Restaurant staffs are experienced in taking steps to prevent the transmission of contagious diseases like influenza and norovirus, Sonia Riggs, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, said in an email.
“In this spirit, we are seeing restaurants step up to go above and beyond what is mandated by law to assure their guests that it is safe to dine out,” Riggs said.
Restaurants are implementing more frequent sanitation and hand washing and providing hand sanitizer to guests, Riggs added. Some restaurants are encouraging delivery or take-out, and some plan to shift their models to provide more meals that way.
The restaurant association is starting to hear reports that business is slowing and large groups are canceling reservations. Riggs said the recent cancellation of large conventions directly affect restaurants.
Restaurants have struggled to fill shifts and jobs in Colorado’s tight labor market. Riggs said some might have to change to different business models to deal with staff shortages
