Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020
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Louisiana Business,
This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional
information becomes available.
CDC is working across the Department of Health and Human Services and across the U.S. government in the
public health response to COVID-19. Much is unknown about how the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads.
Current knowledge is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses.
CDC industry guidance
Resources for airlines
Resources for the ship industry
Coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in humans and many different species of animals,
including camels, cattle, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread
between people, such as with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from
person to person in China and some limited person-to-person transmission has been reported in countries
outside China, including the United States. However, respiratory illnesses like seasonal influenza, are currently
widespread in many U.S. communities.
The following interim guidance may help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including
COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more
widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19.
To prevent stigma and discrimination in the workplace, use only the guidance described below to determine
risk of COVID-19. Do not make determinations of risk based on race or country of origin and be sure to
maintain confidentiality of people with confirmed COVID-19. There is much more to learn about the
transmissibility, severity and other features of COVID-19, and investigations are ongoing. Updates are available
on CDC’s webpage at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/covid19.
Recommended strategies for employers to use now
Actively encourage sick employees to stay home:
o Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and
not come to work until they are free of fever (100.4° F [37.8° C] or greater using an oral
thermometer), signs of a fever and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020
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fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants). Employees
should notify their supervisor and stay home if they are sick.
o Ensure that your sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance and
that employees are aware of these policies.
o Talk with companies that provide your business with contract or temporary employees about the
importance of sick employees staying home and encourage them to develop non-punitive leave
policies.
o Do not require a healthcare provider’s note for employees who are sick with acute respiratory
illness to validate their illness or to return to work, as healthcare provider offices and medical
facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way.
o Employers should maintain flexible policies that permit employees to stay home to care for a sick
family member. Employers should be aware that more employees may need to stay at home to
care for sick children or other sick family members than is usual.
Separate sick employees:
o CDC recommends that employees who appear to have acute respiratory illness symptoms (i.e.
cough, shortness of breath) upon arrival to work or become sick during the day should be
separated from other employees and be sent home immediately. Sick employees should cover
their noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or an elbow or shoulder if no
tissue is available).
Emphasize staying home when sick, respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene by all employees:
o Place posters that encourage staying home when sick, cough and sneeze etiquette and hand
hygiene at the entrance to your workplace and in other workplace areas where they are likely to
be seen.
o Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees.
o Instruct employees to clean their hands often with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains
at least 60% to 95% alcohol, or wash their hands with soap and warm water for at least 20
seconds. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
o Provide soap and water and alcohol-based hand rubs in the workplace. Ensure that adequate
supplies are maintained. Place hand rubs in multiple locations or in conference rooms to
encourage hand hygiene.
o Visit the coughing and sneezing etiquette and clean hands webpage for more information.
Perform routine environmental cleaning:
o Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations,
countertops and doorknobs. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and
follow the directions on the label.
o No additional disinfection beyond routine cleaning is recommended at this time.
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020
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o Provide disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces (for example, doorknobs, keyboards,
remote controls and desks) can be wiped down by employees before each use.
Advise employees before traveling to take certain steps:
o Check the CDC’s Traveler’s Health Notices for the latest guidance and recommendations for each
country to which you will travel. Specific travel information for travelers going to and returning
from China, and information for aircrew, can be found at on the CDC website.
o Advise employees to check themselves for symptoms of acute respiratory illness before starting
travel and notify their supervisor and stay home if they are sick.
o Ensure employees who become sick while traveling or on temporary assignment understand that
they should notify their supervisor and should promptly call a healthcare provider for advice if
needed.
o If outside the United States, sick employees should follow your company’s policy for obtaining
medical care or contact a healthcare provider or overseas medical assistance company to assist
them with finding an appropriate healthcare provider in that country. A U.S. consular officer can
help locate healthcare services. However, U.S. embassies, consulates and military facilities do not
have the legal authority, capability and resources to evacuate or give medicines, vaccines or
medical care to private U.S. citizens overseas.
Additional measures in response to currently occurring sporadic importations of COVID-19:
o Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should
notify their supervisor and refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their
potential exposure.
If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible
exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees exposed to a co-worker with confirmed COVID-19 should refer to CDC
guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.
Planning for a possible COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.
The severity of illness or how many people will fall ill from COVID-19 is unknown at this time. If there is
evidence of a COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., employers should plan to be able to respond in a flexible way to
varying levels of severity and be prepared to refine their business response plans as needed. For the general
American public, such as workers in non-healthcare settings and where it is unlikely that work tasks create an
increased risk of exposures to COVID-19, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low. The CDC
and its partners will continue to monitor national and international data on the severity of illness caused by
COVID-19, will disseminate the results of these ongoing surveillance assessments and will make additional
recommendations as needed.
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020
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Planning considerations
All employers need to consider how best to decrease the spread of acute respiratory illness and lower the
impact of COVID-19 in their workplace in the event of an outbreak in the US. They should identify and
communicate their objectives, which may include one or more of the following: (a) reducing transmission
among staff, (b) protecting people who are at higher risk for adverse health complications, (c) maintaining
business operations, and (d) minimizing adverse effects on other entities in their supply chains. Some of the
key considerations when making decisions on appropriate responses are:
Disease severity (i.e., number of people who are sick, hospitalization and death rates) in the community
where the business is located;
Impact of disease on employees that are vulnerable and may be at higher risk for COVID-19 adverse
health complications. Inform employees that some people may be at higher risk for severe illness, such as
older adults and those with chronic medical conditions.
Prepare for possible increased numbers of employee absences due to illness in employees and their
family members, dismissals of early childhood programs and K-12 schools due to high levels of
absenteeism or illness.
o Employers should plan to monitor and respond to absenteeism at the workplace. Implement
plans to continue your essential business functions in case you experience higher than usual
absenteeism.
o Cross-train personnel to perform essential functions so that the workplace is able to operate
even if key staff members are absent.
o Assess your essential functions and the reliance that others and the community have on your
services or products. Be prepared to change your business practices if needed to maintain
critical operations (e.g., identify alternative suppliers, prioritize customers, or temporarily
suspend some of your operations if needed).
Employers with more than one business location are encouraged to provide local managers with the
authority to take appropriate actions outlined in their business infectious disease outbreak response
plan based on the condition in each locality.
Coordination with state and local health officials is strongly encouraged for all businesses so that
timely and accurate information can guide appropriate responses in each location where their
operations reside. Since the intensity of an outbreak may differ according to geographic location, local
health officials will be issuing guidance specific to their communities.
Important considerations for creating an infectious disease outbreak response plan:
All employers should be ready to implement strategies to protect their workforce from COVID-19 while
ensuring continuity of operations. During a COVID-19 outbreak, all sick employees should stay home and away
from the workplace, respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene should be encouraged, and routine cleaning of
commonly touched surfaces should be performed regularly.
Employers should:
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020
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o Ensure the plan is flexible and involve your employees in developing and reviewing your
plan.
o Conduct a focused discussion or exercise using your plan, to find out ahead of time
whether the plan has gaps or problems that need to be corrected.
o Share your plan with employees and explain what human resources policies, workplace
and leave flexibilities, and pay and benefits will be available to them.
o Share best practices with other businesses in your communities (especially those in your
supply chain), chambers of commerce and associations to improve community response
efforts.
Recommendations for an infectious disease outbreak response plan:
Identify possible work-related exposure and health risks to your employees. OSHA has more information
on how to protect workers from potential exposures to COVID-19.
Review human resources policies to make sure that policies and practices are consistent with public
health recommendations and are consistent with existing state and federal workplace laws (for more
information on employer responsibilities, visit the Department of Labor’s and the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission’s websites).
Explore whether you can establish policies and practices, such as flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting)
and flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts), to increase the physical distance among employees and
between employees and others if state and local health authorities recommend the use of social
distancing strategies. For employees who are able to telework, supervisors should encourage employees
to telework instead of coming into the workplace until symptoms are completely resolved. Ensure that
you have the information technology and infrastructure needed to support multiple employees who may
be able to work from home.
Identify essential business functions, essential jobs or roles, and critical elements within your supply
chains (e.g., raw materials, suppliers, subcontractor services/products and logistics) required to maintain
business operations. Plan for how your business will operate if there is increasing absenteeism or these
supply chains are interrupted.
Set up authorities, triggers and procedures for activating and terminating the company’s infectious
disease outbreak response plan, altering business operations (e.g., possibly changing or closing
operations in affected areas) and transferring business knowledge to key employees. Work closely with
your local health officials to identify these triggers.
Plan to minimize exposure between employees and also between employees and the public, if public
health officials call for social distancing.
Establish a process to communicate information to employees and business partners on your infectious
disease outbreak response plans and latest COVID-19 information. Anticipate employee fear, anxiety,
rumors and misinformation, and plan communications accordingly.
In some communities, early childhood programs and K-12 schools may be dismissed, particularly if
COVID-19 worsens. Determine how you will operate if absenteeism spikes from increases in sick
employees, those who stay home to care for sick family members, and those who must stay home to
watch their children if dismissed from school. Businesses and other employers should prepare to institute
flexible workplace and leave policies for these employees.
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020
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Local conditions will influence the decisions that public health officials make regarding community-level
strategies; employers should take the time now to learn about plans in place in each community where
they have a business.
If there is evidence of a COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., consider canceling nonessential business travel to
additional countries per travel guidance on the CDC website.
o Travel restrictions may be enacted by other countries which may limit the ability of employees to
return home if they become sick while on travel status.
o Consider cancelling large work-related meetings or events.
Engage state and local health departments to confirm channels of communication and methods for
dissemination of local outbreak information.
Resources
For the most up-to-date information, visit www.cdc.gov/covid19.
For more information about COVID-19 in Louisiana visit: Http://www.ldh.la.gov/coronavirus
For questions from the general public about COVID-19 call: (855)-523-2652
CDC guidance
COVID-19 Website
What You Need to Know About COVID-19
What to Do If You Are Sick With COVID-19
