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COVID-19 FAQs  

Essential vs Non-Essential Businesses 

Q: What are the current guidelines for business closures and who does it apply to?
A: (3/23/2020) Stay Home, Stay Healthy “Employment in essential business services means an essential employee performing work for an essential business as identified in the “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers” list.

Q: If my business is considered non-essential, do I have to shut down?
A: (3/24/2020) Yes, unless you and your employees can work from home. - Office of Governor Jay Inslee

Q: What are the registration requirements for those deemed essential?
A: (3/25/2020) There is no need to register for workers or businesses that are deemed essential. - Dept. of Commerce

Q: What makes a business classified as essential?
A: (3/24/2020) The full list of sectors and workers deemed essential is available here.

Q: Where do I apply to have my business listed as “essential?"
A: (3/24/2020) To clarify status, or request inclusion on the list, please fill out this form.

Q: Do essential companies' staff need travel permits?
A: (3/25/2020) No permits are needed to travel to and from essential business locations. - Dept. of Commerce

Services / Programs  

Q: Where can I find information on the coronavirus and COVID-19 resources in multiple languages?
A: (3/24/2020) Multilingual resources - Department of Health Multilingual Fact Sheet

Emergency Response Procedures

Health Facts 

Q: As an employer, am I allowed to check the temperature of an employee before allowing them to begin work?
A: (3/26/2020) The new EEOC guidelines (and formerly ADA rules after H1N1) allow for temperature checks. Based on a few conversations, companies are (1) requiring a physician's note and (2) sanitizing the plant after a person has tested positive or come in close contact with a person testing positive. Any employees who have been in close contact are being asked to self-quarantine.

Visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's website for a full list of resources regarding employer anti-discrimination awareness.

What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19

                  Visit EEOC Newsroom for specific guidance

Q: If my employee reports to me that he/she got infected, what should I do? Should I call the city, county, or state, or CDC? Should I vacate the workplace?
A: (3/24/2020) Here is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) guidance for steps to take if you are sick with COVID-19 or think you may be infected with coronavirus. - https://coronavirus.wa.gov/

Q: How do we protect our workforce and reduce the spreading?
A: (3/24/2020) CDC guidance to help families, employers, schools and others stop the spread of COVID-19 (pdf) - https://coronavirus.wa.gov/

A: (3/24/2020) The Department of Health has established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, please call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

Social Distancing 

Q: What are the current guidelines on social distancing?
A: (3/24/2020) From the Department of Health: Home Isolation Guidance (PDF)

  
For State and Federal Agency COVID-19 Resources and Informational Flyers