How can essential employees stay safe at work during pandemic? Here’s what experts say

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidelines for essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic and how to prevent spreading the virus at work.

The CDC identifies essential employees as law enforcement at federal, state and local levels, 911 call center workers, fusion center workers, hazardous material responders, custodial and janitorial staff, and employees in food, agricultural, informational technology, transportation, critical manufacturing, government and energy facilities.

People in critical infrastructure roles who have been exposed to COVID-19 but don’t have any symptoms should check their temperatures before going to work, monitor for any symptoms, wear a face mask for at least two weeks after being exposed, practice social distancing and maintain 6 feet of space between others, and disinfect and clean work spaces, according to the CDC.

Exposure is defined by the CDC as “being a household contact or having close contact within 6 feet of an individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.”

Employers should take workers’ temperatures and monitor symptoms, send anyone home who gets sick, increase airflow in buildings, test to see if wearing masks interferes with work, and cleaning high-touch surfaces more frequently, the CDC said.

Workers should be allowed to take staggered breaks to reduce their contact with others, avoid congregating in break rooms, and avoid sharing any utensils or food, according to the CDC.

Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said Wednesday that essential workers who have been exposed to COVID-19 can go back to work if they’re showing no symptoms and they follow these guidelines, according to USA Today.

This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 12:27 PM with the headline "How can essential employees stay safe at work during pandemic? Here’s what experts say."