Information for Businesses and Employers
With more businesses opening and planning for gradual reopening, the following will help provide an overview for owners and managers.
Through collaboration with several local health departments around the state, the Saginaw County Health Department has assembled a comprehensive toolkit of resources for businesses to use as they plan for re-opening, including public health guidance for many different industry sectors.
We invite you to share this toolkit, asking you to recognize it as a fluid document that will change as management and mitigation of COVID-19 changes in our state.
Water Safety Guidance as Businesses Reopen
As our County's businesses begin to return to work, building owners and operators must be prepared to ensure that their water systems are safe to use after prolonged shutdown to minimize the risk of Legionnaires' disease and other disease causes by waterborne pathogens.
Guidance for Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced Operation outlines an 8-step checklist and was developed with the help of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC. If Saginaw County business have questions about water safety in their facilities, we encourage them to call our hotline at (989) 758-3828.
Keeping Commercial Est. Safe Keeping the Workplace Safe
Interim Guidance for Businesses COVID-19 Screening Guidelines
COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection
For more information and guidance on essential versus non-essential workers, please visit the State of Michigan website here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Governor Whitmer has issued several Executive Orders that impact service providers and businesses. Executive Order 2020-21 temporarily requires "all activities that are not necessary to sustain or protect life" to be suspended effective March 24, 2020 at 12:01 am. This list includes those covered in previous Executive Orders related to public accommodation and school closures:
- Restaurants, food courts, cafes, coffeehouses
- Bars, taverns, brew pubs, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, special licensees, clubs
- Hookah bars, cigar bars, and vaping lounges offering their product for on-premises consumption
- Theaters (including drive-in), cinemas, and indoor and outdoor performance venues
- Libraries (including college and university libraries) and museums
- Gymnasiums, fitness centers, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities, exercise studios, and facilities offering non-essential personal care services
- Casinos, racetracks, and Millionaire Parties licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board
- Places of public amusement not otherwise listed, including amusement parks, arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, indoor climbing facilities, skating rinks, trampoline parks, and other similar recreational or entertainment facilities
The full Executive Order, as well as all others issued by Governor Whitmer, can be found here.
At this time, childcare workers are considered "critical infrastructure employees", but only to the extent necessary to serve the children or dependents of critical infrastructure workers as defined in Executive Order 2020-21.
Violations related to price gouging can be reported to the Michigan Attorney General Consumer Complaint hotline at 877-765-8388, or online at www.michigan.gov/agcomplaints.
Willful violation of this order is punishable by a misdemeanor, $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail. Local law enforcement can be contacted at their non-emergency phone lines for enforcement.
If you feel your employer is not providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees, contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Michigan State Plan office can be reached by telephone at 517-284-7777, or you can file a complaint online here.
Our Environmental Health Department can help you with general cleaning and disinfecting questions. Give us a call at 989-758-3686.
For more information, you can also consult the CDC recommendations found here.