As the world shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many business owners found themselves in a difficult position. Even now, as Texas cities have begun to slowly reopen, business owners are still faced with tough decisions. As a part of our commitment to keeping our community safe, we have put together a list of resources for San Antonio businesses impacted by Coronavirus.
It is our hope that this list will help business owners who are struggling with the decision to reopen, or if they have already reopened, that it may provide them with new information for operating safely.
Federal Resources
A variety of Federal agencies have provided easily accessible information for business owners, from guidelines for reopening to data on the spread of the Coronavirus throughout the United States.
Guide for Reopening Businesses and Workplaces
The CDC has provided this guide for businesses and workplaces that are reopening. The guide includes information for restaurants, bars, small businesses, and other workplaces, such as offices. Some of the resources in this guide include information on reopening, downloadable and shareable posters, and strategies for prevention.
Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for Reopening
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) has been updated to include new recommendations for preparing a workplace to reopen after they have been shut down due to the Coronavirus crisis. None of the guidelines within this document are a requirement, but they can be a helpful resource for business owners who are planning to reopen or have reopened their place of business. The guide can be downloaded, reproduced, and shared without permission, so business owners can freely share this as a resource with employees if they so choose.
Coronavirus Cases in the U.S.
The CDC has also created a resource center for those who would like to monitor the number of Coronavirus cases in the U.S. This can be helpful for business owners who are allowed to reopen, but have not yet made their decision. The resource center is updated each day with the number of Coronavirus cases and deaths that have been reported to the CDC, a state-by-state map of cases, and a variety of other data points.
Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility
The CDC recommends regularly cleaning your place of business, and has put together a list of guidelines for doing so. Their guidelines include information on the proper chemicals, how to clean in different situations, and the importance of keeping up with a cleaning schedule for high touch surfaces, like door knobs, points of sale, countertops, tables, etc.
Coronavirus Loan Resources
As a part of a relief effort from the Federal government, the CARES Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act contains $376 billion in relief for American workers and small businesses. This includes Small Business Loans, the Payment Protection Program, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance. These loans can take some of the burden off of businesses that are concerned about paying employees or continuing to operate at a limited capacity.
Texas Resources
The state of Texas has begun to reopen in phases, following Governor Abbott’s announcement of his plan to reopen. Since the announcement of the governor’s plan in late April, there are many resources that have been released in order to help business owners reduce the risk of spreading the Coronavirus to employees or customers.
Texans Helping Texans Plan
Governor Abbott’s plan lists out different phases in which certain Texas businesses are allowed to reopen, and the capacity in which they can do so. For example, retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and malls were allowed to open at a 25% capacity on May 1, 2020 as a part of phase one, while gyms, bars, schools, and other businesses had to remain closed. Now, as of May 22, 2020, bars, gyms, and schools have been given the OK to reopen at a limited capacity as a part of phase two. It is important for business owners to know whether they can reopen under this plan, and if they can reopen, at what capacity.
Coronavirus Cases in Texas
The Texas Department of State Health Services has provided a resource center for information on the Coronavirus throughout the state. The resource center includes a map of Coronavirus cases, included the number of reported active cases, deaths, recoveries, and more. Business owners may want to use this map to determine whether or not they will feel safe reopening their business, as they may be in a city or county with a high or low number of confirmed cases.
Open Business Checklists
As a part of his plan to reopen Texas, Governor Abbott’s office has provided checklists for businesses that are allowed to reopen. These checklists provide businesses with safety guidelines and health protocols to follow when reopening, from seating arrangements to employee screening. It may be helpful for business owners to download and share these checklists with employees.
Small Business and Worker Resources
Texas’ Economic Development agency has put together a list of resources that can be used by workers and small businesses for relief during the Coronavirus crisis. Some of the resources include options to request a loan or become part of a lending program, information on the Texas Workforce Commission, and guidance for workers who are self-employed. These resources can help take some pressure off of businesses and workers who are struggling financially during this time.
Local San Antonio Business Resources
Local government agencies, and even some local businesses, have created a variety of resources for san Antonio businesses impacted by Coronavirus, including financial assistance, tips on reopening safely, and information on symptoms and self-screening.
Guidelines for Reopening San Antonio Businesses
Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff appointed an Economic Transition Team in order to discover the best way for San Antonio businesses to reopen. This team released guidelines that are built off of Governor Abbott’s minimum standards for reopening. Business owners may want to take these guidelines into consideration when reopening, as they may have more information or more stringent recommendations than the guidelines released by the Governor’s office.
Bexar County Surveillance Dashboard
The city of San Antonio provides a dashboard for surveilling the Coronavirus in Bexar county. The dashboard provides the number of total confirmed cases, which of the confirmed cases are active, the number of deaths, the number of recoveries, and case numbers by certain demographics. Monitoring the number of active cases may help business owners decide whether they will reopen, the number of employees they will bring back, etc.
Bexar County COVID-19 Testing Map
Local San Antonio government has created a map of Bexar county that identifies sites that are testing for COVID-19. It highlights urgent care centers and drive-through testing sites that have agreed to be included on the map. The map does not include pop-up testing centers, and may not be complete if certain care centers or drive-through sites have elected to be excluded from the map. It is continuously updated as new centers appear and would like to be included. This can be helpful for business owners to share with employees, should they feel ill before or during reopening.
Small Business Assistance
The city of San Antonio has put together a hub of resources for small business owners and employers who have been affected by the Coronavirus. Here businesses can find information that is specific to their industry, such as food and beverage or nonprofits, that covers small business loans, unemployment benefits, legal tips, and print materials. These assistance resources can be a big help for business owners who are struggling financially while closed or open at a limited capacity.
Professional Disinfecting
Professional disinfecting services can be a big help for business owners who are reopening. Professional disinfecting services provide a much more thorough clean than simple janitorial services and can clean high-touch surfaces, hard to reach places, and even sanitize technology like computers and point-of-sale systems. Alpha Decon professional sanitizing serves the San Antonio area, providing a quick and highly-effective clean for grocery stores, churches, retail, restaurants, bars, hotels, public venues, warehouses, schools, and more.
Book a Regular Sanitizing Service to Fight Back Against Coronavirus
Alpha Decon is proud to be just one of the many resources for San Antonio businesses impacted by Coronavirus. We offer a variety of plans and pricing, from daily services to occasional one-time appointments, to meet your needs and your budget. And during the Coronavirus crisis, we are open and ready to serve you 7 days a week from 9 am – 5 pm.
The Alpha Decon Difference
Alpha Decon stands above the competition in four simple ways:
- Our approach uses a mist plume to get full-coverage and surrounds the objects we’re spraying.
- Our approach is electrostatically attracted to surfaces and all objects in the space, ensuring good adherence of the disinfectant.
- We use the right chemical for the job – and can offer long-lasting (up to 24 hr) protection of a surface.
- Our service is fast and economical and is an ideal component to a layered protection paradigm.
If you’d like more information about how professional sanitizing works, or you’re ready to get started with your first professional sanitizing service, please give us a call at (866) 623-0013 or request a quote online.