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COVID-19 Operation Plan

Last Updated: May 8, 2020

“Stronger Community Through Business Prosperity”

Tel: (506) 458-8006 / Email: fchamber@frederictonchamber.ca / Website: frederictonchamber.ca

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Message to the Team As we continue through this pandemic, the number one concern of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce is the safety of our employees, volunteers, membership and the general public. We have developed and will regularly update our COVID-19 Operation Plan as information becomes available. This has been a difficult time for all New Brunswickers, and it is important that the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce set an example for the business community and support our member businesses. In this document, we attempt to summarize the guidance information that has been provided by the Government of New Brunswick regarding reopening the economy over the coming days and weeks.

Please note that the following document is not a fully comprehensive guide to all possible responsibilities, obligations or actions that your business may have to take to comply with provincial re-opening rules.

The government has advised that they do not expect that a vaccine will be available for 12 to 18 months or more, meaning life will not return to normal for some time. Physical distancing, health screenings, physical barriers (plexiglass), hand washing, surface cleaning, masks and face coverings will be the new normal.

Disclaimer Please be advised that some of the information contained in this document may not be applicable to your position. Please note that this is a “living” document and it will be updated regularly as rules and regulations are changed. Accordingly, it is your responsibility to review this documentation on a regular basis.

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Risk Assessment The office of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce is located on the second floor of a commercial property located at 364 York Street. There are two main entrances to the building with stairwells at both entrance and an elevator at one entrance. The washroom facilities are located down the hall from the chamber office and they require a code for entrance. These washrooms are shared with the other occupants of the building. There are currently five full-time employees and one part-time employee at the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. Four of these employees have closed-in offices and the part-time employee, who works one day per week in the office, has a cubicle style office. Reception has an open desk with a half-surround wall on one side. During the summer months, summer students may work at the chamber office and one will be in a cubicle office and others will be in different open areas in the office. Shared areas for staff include reception, small meeting room, boardroom, coffee area, kitchen, photocopier/supply room. The small meeting room and boardroom are available for rental or use by the chamber’s membership or general public. This includes use of the coffee area just outside of the boardroom. Generally, meetings with members or general public are held in either the small meeting room or boardroom and are rarely conducted in staff offices.

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Self-Assessment - Employee Pre-screening All employees are asked to read this document to ensure they are aware of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. In accordance with Public Health directions, you are not permitted to return to work and must contact the CEO if you answer YES to the following: Are you required to self-isolate because you have travelled outside of New Brunswick within the last 14 days? Have you been directed by a public health authority to self-isolate or quarantine within the last 14 days? Do you have at least two of the COVID-19 symptoms list below? If so, self-isolate and call 811 for direction.

By entering this office, you agree that your answer to each question is NO as of the date and time you entered the office.

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Physical Distancing All employees, guests, volunteers, members and the public must remain six feet/two metres apart at all times. If you are unable to ensure the six foot-/two-metre separation requirement at any time, you are required to wear a mask (either medical or community is acceptable). The capacity of the chamber’s boardroom and meeting room will be decreased to allow physical distancing – this should be kept in mind if someone calls to rent/use these spaces until such time as small gatherings are permitted in New Brunswick. All chamber events and meetings and activities will be planned within the limitations of physical distancing protocols and venue capacity Eliminate contact greetings such as handshakes and/or hugs. All staff are encouraged to take the stairs instead of the elevator. You are advised to wear your community face mask and use hand sanitizer when you leave the elevator. You are also advised to wash your hands when you return to the office as you likely touched shared doorknobs, handrails, etc. Unable to Ensure Physical Distancing If staff are unable to ensure social distancing, masks must be worn and hand sanitizer will be available. For meetings which exceed the Government of NB regulations regarding gatherings, a virtual call should be arranged due to the chamber’s boardroom capacity. You are advised to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently when you are able.

Protect Yourself and Others – Facilitating Personal Hygiene Etiquette Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. Disinfect and clean frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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When coughing and sneezing, turn your head away from others and use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth, drop your tissue into a waste bin, clean your hands after discarding tissue using soap and water or alcohol for at least 20 seconds. The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce strongly encourages all staff to wear non-medical masks, also referred to as community face masks, when out in the community when they are unable to maintain physical distancing. Chamber staff should be aware that some businesses may require them to wear a community mask before entering their building/premise so keep this in mind when going out of the office for meetings etc. Stay home if you are sick. Practice Social Distancing.

PPE – Personal Protective Equipment Masks are/will be available for staff use and a supply will be available for visitors if they don’t have their own community mask. Disposable gloves will be available for use when cleaning surfaces, equipment, etc. Thermometer – the chamber is trying to order/obtain a non-contact thermometer to use for pre-screening. BPP - Business Preparedness Products A plexiglass barrier has been installed at reception.

Signage Door Signage – Both doors have signage advising that people may not enter if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Common Area Cleanliness Checklists – In waiting room, board and meeting rooms, coffee area, and kitchen. Room Occupancy – Room capacity signs for board and meeting room aligning with size of groups as permitted by the Province of NB and updated as required.

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COVID-19 Awareness sign – In reception, small meeting room, boardroom, office supply room, kitchen. Hand washing – in kitchen area. Physical Distancing – In boardroom and meeting room, office supply room. Further information can be found on the New Brunswick Coronavirus webpage. (Click on Awareness Resources/More Resources). Available Public Health Posters Include:

Self-Monitoring Poster

Hand-Washing Poster

Hand Sanitizer Poster

Protect Yourself and Others from Getting Sick Poster

Physical Distancing Poster

Cleaning & Disinfecting Cleaning must be done twice per day, but more often in high traffic areas. Please ensure that you follow all directions posted on cleaning products and as per the chamber’s Health and Safety Procedures Manual. Offices/Workstations – Each staff member is responsible for disinfecting your desk/workstation at the end of the day. You are also responsible for wiping down your telephone and receiver, laptop keyboard, armrest on your chair, light switch and door handle (if applicable). If you have a meeting table in your office, or other shared surface, then please wipe this area as well. Cleaning products will be provided for each workspace. Reception desk, POS machine – The Operations and Communications Manager will wipe down this surface after each visitor and the POS machine after each use. Boardroom and Meeting Rooms – In the small meeting room, two chairs will be removed and in the boardroom, chairs will be removed to ensure the six feet/two metre physical distancing. Once the occupants of the room are done with the room the Operations and Communications Manager will wipe down the table, chair armrests, projector, laptop, conference phone and shared surfaces. Postage Meter – Each staff member is asked to wipe down the machine after use. The Operations and Communication Manager will wipe down at the end of the day.

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Photocopier - Each staff member is asked to wipe down the machine after use. The Operations and Communication Manager will wipe down at the end of the day. Office Supply Cupboards - The Operations and Communication Manager will wipe down at the end of the day. Waiting Room and Coffee Area – The Operations and Communication Manager will wipe down door handles throughout the day and wipe down chairs or shared surfaces daily. Kitchen area – Staff members are responsible for cleaning up after themselves in the kitchen area and ensuring surfaces are sanitized after use. The Operations and Communication Manager will wipe down at the end of the day. Events & Meetings All chamber events and meetings and activities will be planned within the limitations of physical distancing protocols and venue capacity. Events held outdoors may be lower risk for transmission of respiratory illness than those held indoors due to higher ventilation. However, the best option to limit any risk of transmission would be to hold activities and meetings virtually, whenever possible. Food If a meeting is planned for the boardroom and if anyone using the room requires food to be brought in, take-out delivery is acceptable. All organizers need to be informed that buffets are not permitted nor meals/snacks in common areas. Physical distancing requirements must always be adhered to. Handling Money Use of electronic payment are preferred when possible however, if any team member must handle cash in the course of their duties, take the cash and put it in an envelope and write the person’s name, invoice number and amount on the envelope and then put it in the bookkeeper’s basket. Do not touch your face after handling money. Ensure that sanitizer is available for both parties at the point of purchase. Carpooling Every effort must be made to avoid having employees travel in the same vehicle during work activities. The employer should consider implementing alternate transportation options (for example, the use of personal vehicles).

• If more than one person must travel in the same vehicle, consider installing physical barriers (such as plexiglass) inside the Before installing a physical barrier, ensure that it can be installed without introducing additional hazards - such as restricting the driver’s field of vision or inhibiting escape in the event of an accident. Ensure that the barrier is made of a material that is easily cleaned.

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• If installing a physical barrier is not possible and employees must travel together, they must be actively screened before entering the vehicle and during the day.

• Maintain a log of employees travelling together. This must be made available to Public Health for contact tracing purposes if it’s identified that a person who tested positive for COVID-19 was present in the vehicle.

• Limit the number of persons traveling together to: o 2 people for small - medium size vehicles and trucks (normally seat 4 to 5 people) o 4 people for large vehicles such as trucks and SUVs (normally seat 6 or more people) o 8 people for 15 passengers vans

• Employees must keep as much space between each other as possible. Persons must not sit directly beside each other, and a passenger must sit in the back seat diagonally across from the driver if traveling in a medium-small vehicle. Employees must keep their same seats throughout the day.

• The use of non-medical or fabric face coverings, or full-face shields is mandatory if a distance of 2m cannot be maintained. Note that special precautions must be taken when such coverings are used.

• At a minimum, the vehicle must be cleaned and disinfected at the start and end of the shift. It will need to be cleaned and disinfected more often if it is used to transport other employees and/or used for other activities (such as lunch breaks). Controls must be in place to ensure that vehicle sanitization is maintained.

• When employees are speaking inside the vehicle, they should look straight ahead in order to limit direct face-to-face interaction.

• Remember that proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette is key to reducing the transmission of the virus. Ensure hand washing or sanitizing supplies are available at all times.

Response Plan in the case of a positive test within our team The answer to this question depends on if the worker has simply been exposed or has had close contact. Public Health is advising anyone who has been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 to self-monitor themselves for 14 days. If the worker has had close contact, then they must self-isolate. In either case, if the worker subsequently develops symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19, they should isolate and use the Government of New Brunswick’s assessment tool to assess their status and next steps. The Government of New Brunswick Assessment Tool can be found here - https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/ocmoh/cdc/content/respiratory_diseases/coronavirus/coronavirusexposure.html#/app/symptom-checker/guides/399/what-to-do Response Plan for Testing and Contract Tracing within our Team The employee must immediately isolate themselves and follow guidance from the appropriate regional public health officials. Public Health will determine if there is a need to inform the employer of the test results. A visitor and employee log for access points and rooms where physical distancing is not possible must be shared with Public Health.

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Public Health will advise anyone who has been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19 and identify any control measures that are required to be put in place.

For the management of cases and contacts, Regional Public Health will provide the direction for follow up and advise if there is a need for employer action.

Regional public health will lead the process of tracing the identity of other persons that may have been exposed. Public Health may require the employer's assistance in the process. As the employer, you are required to:

• Cooperate with Health officials and adhere to the advice Additional information on the tracing process used is below.

• If the case is confirmed positive by Public Health , the employer must report the exposure to WorkSafeNB by email (comp c onformite@ws ts.nb. ca) or calling 1 800 999-9775.

• With the guidance of Public Health, communicate with your staff and other workplace parties about measures they must take following the potential Ensure this process respects individual privacy. Public Health will also identify if any communication is needed external to your workplace.

• Follow Public Health's advice regarding closing or restricting access to the workplace to clean surfaces and equipment which the confirmed case was in contact with by following the guidelines developed by Health Canada for Hard-surface disinfectants for use against coronavirus (COVID-19)

• If applicable, follow Public Health's advice before re-occupying the workplace. • Introduce a screening process for employees re-entering the workplace if such a process does

not already exist. WorkSafeNB has developed a screening tool. • Re-evaluate the workplace including the preventive measures to determine if changes are You

can consult the following WorkSafeNB for guidance. • If necessary, re-visit your business continuity plan and your operational plan.

Additional Resources The Fredericton Chamber, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton and the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce, created a preparedness guide to help businesses prepare for reopening. It can be found here. For most recent copies of the State of Emergency and Guidance Documents for business operations: Government of New Brunswick: State of Emergency Declaration WorkSafe NB: https://www.worksafenb.ca/ Government of New Brunswick Coronavirus: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/corporate/promo/ covid-19.html

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Office of Chief Medical Officer of Health: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/ocmoh. Html For updated information on COVID-19 and guidance on each phase on our provincial recovery documents, visit the Government of New Brunswick website at www.gnb.ca/coronavirus

For Resources and Posters:

Office of Chief Medical Officer of Health: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/ocmoh/ cdc/content/respiratory_diseases/coronavirus/resources.html Public Health Agency Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirusdisease-covid-19.html Health and Safety Rep The Chamber’s Health and Safety Rep is the Operations and Communications Manager and information on any cleaning product can be found in the Health & Safety Manual kept at reception.

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How to Self-MonitorYou have been asked to monitor yourself for symptoms because you may have been exposed to COVID-19. The following measures will help prevent the spread of disease to others in your home and your community.

For the next 14 days, Public Health asks that you:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (as long as it takes to sing the birthday song twice). Dry with disposable paper towels or dry reusable towel, replacing it when it becomes wet. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Before and after preparing food;

After you cough or sneeze;

Before and after eating;

Before and after using a surgical/procedure mask;

After using the toilet;

After disposing of waste or handling contaminated laundry;

Whenever hands look dirty.

Keep your hands clean

When to wash your hands:

Fever Cough Di!culty breathing

Monitor your health for the following symptoms:

For the latest information visit: www.gnb.ca/coronavirus

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FEELING SICK OR HAVE CONCERNS? CALL TELE!CARE 8!1!1 BEFORE YOU PRESENT AT YOUR PHYSICIAN’S OFFICE OR THE EMERGENCY ROOM

For the latest information visit: www.gnb.ca/coronavirus

Coronavirus (COVID-19) PUBLIC HEALTH ADVICE

PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS FROM GETTING SICK:

SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:

Wash your hands often

Fever Cough Di!culty breathing

Elbow cough/sneeze

Avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth

with hands

Cough in tissues and throw away

Stay home if you are sick

Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and

water are not available

Avoid contact with sick person

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