REVISED -- Food Newsletter - COVID-19; 6/01/2020

CLARK COUNTY FOOD NEWS

June 1, 2020 Special Issue; Revised June 3

MY APOLOGIES EVERYONE! The most recent version of this newsletter contained link errors and a couple pieces of misinformation. Corrections have been made to this version.

Important to note:

Re-usable menus ARE NOT allowed in Phase II
Self-service (ex. buffets) IN NOT allowed in Phase II.

Dear Food Safety Partners,

This message is intended to provide an update on the current COVID-19 situation as it pertains to retail food establishment operations and provide you with references and resources as efforts to contain the spread of disease continue. Thank you for your efforts to safely provide food resources to the community throughout the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak. We'll be doing all we can to help support those efforts.

Clark County is not yet in Phase II

We do not have a timeline for when Clark County will enter Phase II. Our COVID-19 website will be updated to reflect that news when it is known.

Preparing for Phase II - Partial Re-opening

Once Clark County is approved to enter Phase 2, food establishments may reopen onsite dining if they have a written procedure in place to meet Governor Inslee’s Phase 2 Restaurant/Tavern Reopening COVID-19 Requirements.

The Washington State Department of Health developed the guidance documents below to help food establishments prepare for re-opening; we've modified these documents to contain additional information and details. Effort has been made to share important food code requirements, Labor and Industry requirements, and additional best practices.

Please review each of these documents and incorporate the guidance into your re-opening plan. Please note: links within these documents may have changed as other agencies attempt to keep documents organized and accessible. I will update links within these documents as I learn of the updated locations. Documents with updated links will be available on the Clark County Public Health Novel Coronavirus website.

Cover letter
Governor Inslee’s Phase 2 Requirements
Read this carefully as there are several requirements unique to COVID-19 that go beyond routine food safety practices
COVID-19 Food Establishment Reopening – Physical Facilities
Guidance designed to help food establishments ensure the kitchen is functional and ready to support food safety
COVID-19 Food Establishment Phase 2 Reopening Checklist
Developed with the Washington Hospitality Association
Highly recommended you fill this out and keep it as a record to confirm necessary steps have been taken to safely reopen
Phase 2 Food Establishment Operations
Provides greater detail and recommended ways for food establishments to meet the requirements for Phase 2
Signs
Available for food establishments to post
King County Protect One Another from COVID-19
CDC Symptoms of Coronavirus
CDC Stop the Spread of Germs
CDC Stay Home When Sick
King County Protect Yourself and Coworkers from COVID-19
Open with Care

Practicing physical distancing and taking simple steps to prevent the spread of viruses remain important. Remember to wash hands frequently, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water isn’t available, cover coughs and sneezes, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands and stay home when you’re sick. Stay at least 6 feet from others and wear a cloth face covering.

Remember, the use of hand sanitizer does not replace hand washing for food workers.

Food workers can use hand sanitizers but hand washing to prevent the spread of foodborne illness is still required. Review section 02310 on page 23 of the Washington State Retail Food Code for a refresher of when hand washing is required.