The Anne Arundel County Health Department has issued the following guidance for handling COVID-19 in the workplace. 

Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the guidance and to create a plan of action for your business should any of your employees or customers contract COVID-19 and have contact withing your place of business.

Guidance: COVID-19 Cases in the Workplace and

Building Operations

There are no requirements for businesses to close if an employee tests positive for COVID-19. The Anne Arundel County Department of Health, once notified of a positive case, initiates contact tracing usually within 24 hours of notification. Contact tracing is an in-depth conversation about where a person has been and where the individual could possibly have exposed others, so that appropriate parties can be notified. It is at this time that the health department would advise the business the best way to proceed which could include closing.

Local health departments and the State of Maryland continue to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 situation and make recommendations for businesses accordingly. At this time, if a business remains open it is expected to follow safe practices as set out by the state and county. The county is committed to working with businesses to help them understand these best practices

Notification of Cases in the Workplace
Promptly identifying and isolating potentially infectious individuals is critical in protecting workers, customers and visitors.

• Health departments investigate COVID-19 cases, trace contacts and notify contacts of exposure. Jurisdictions may actively monitor clients daily or have clients self-monitor and communicate remotely to notify public health authorities. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/investigating-covid-19-case.html
• The workplace should inform and encourage employees to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 if they suspect possible exposure.
• The workplace should develop policies and procedures for employees if and when they are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

Keeping a Building Open
Local and state health departments monitor the ongoing COVID-19 situation and make recommendations. If a business remains open, it are expected to follow safe practices as set out by the state and county. The county is committed to working with businesses to help them understand these best practices.

In the event of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the workplace:

• Close off areas visited by the ill persons. Open outside doors and windows and use ventilating fans to increase air circulation in the area. Wait 24 hours or as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html).
• Employers should work with local and state health departments to ensure there are appropriate protocols and guidelines.
  • Educate staff performing cleaning activities to recognize symptoms of COVID-19 and provide instructions on what to do if they develop symptoms within 14 days after their last possible exposure. At a minimum, staff should immediately notify their supervisor and local health department if they develop symptoms of COVID-19.
    • https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
    • https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/general-business-faq.html
  • Develop policies for worker protection and provide training to all cleaning staff. Training should include when to use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), what PPE is necessary, and how to properly put on, use, take off and dispose of PPE.
  • Ensure staff are trained on the hazards of the cleaning chemicals used in the workplace in accordance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard (https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf)
  • Comply with OSHA’s standards on bloodborne pathogens, including proper disposal of regulated waste, and PPE.

Educate Employees and Supervisors about Steps They Can Take to Protect Themselves at Work

• Provide easy to understand communication and training in preferred languages spoken or read by the employees, and include accurate and timely information. Topics should include signs and symptoms of infection, staying home when ill, social distancing, face coverings, hand hygiene practices, and identifying and minimizing potential routes of transmission at work, at home and in the community.
• Staff should stay home if they are sick with a mild cough or low-grade fever. Staff should also consider staying home (or working from home) if they have had to take simple medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin, which may mask symptoms of a fever.
• Provide information and training on what actions employees should take when they are not feeling well (e.g., workplace leave policies, local and state health department information).
  • https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/COVID19/employeeFAQ.aspx
  • https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla/pandemic
• Financial Assistance:
  • https://www.aacounty.org/coronavirus/housing-utilities-bills/index.html
  • https://www.aacounty.org/coronavirus/food/index.html
  • https://www.aaedc.org/disaster-assistance-faq

Closing a Building
Guidelines vary for different types of businesses and establishments. There is no exact number of cases that determine a decision to close an establishment. Local health departments investigate all complaints from the public and utilize data collected from contact tracing to guide decision-making. Closures are determined on a case-by-case basis. Closures depend on the level of disease transmission in the community and readiness to protect the safety and health of employees and customers.

In the result of a closure due to COVID-19:

• Follow CDC guidance for cleaning and disinfection.
• Wait 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting to minimize the potential for exposure to respiratory droplets. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
• Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.
• Clean and disinfect all areas including offices, bathrooms and common areas, focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces. Operations can resume as soon as the following cleaning and disinfection are completed.
  • Wash surfaces with soap and water prior to disinfection.
  • Disinfect surfaces using EPA approved products (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html) for use against SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and that are appropriate for the surface.
  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products for concentration, application method, contact time and required PPE.

Outdoor Masks Required In AA County When Social Distancing Is Not Possible

Anne Arundel County Executive announced in a press conference today that in order to keep our numbers going in the right direction, Anne Arundel County will require masks to be worn in outside public areas where social distancing is not possible,

From our understanding, if you are in an outside area and are able to maintain at least 6 feet of separation, then the mask would not be required.  But if the 6 feet of separation is not possible, then the mask would be required.

There are a few other announcements in the press release, which is below:

Annapolis, Md. (July 9, 2020)

Today, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced two new initiatives designed to protect county residents from the resurgent COVID-19 coronavirus and address the economic hardships the virus is creating.

The first initiative, Keep Anne Arundel Open, includes three actions that aim to prevent a new surge of COVID-19 cases and avert any reversal of the county’s Stage Two reopening actions.

·         A detailed plan to test 2 percent of the county population (about 11,600 people) every week.

·         A new public safety order requiring face coverings to be worn in outdoor public spaces where six-foot social distancing is not feasible.

·         Increased complaint-driven enforcement activity to ensure proper safety protocols in bars and restaurants during evening hours.

“Right now, in Anne Arundel County, our positivity rate is low and our hospitalization numbers look good,” said County Executive Pittman. “It took a lot of work to get here. But we can do better. By acting now to isolate this virus further, we can finish the job we started, protect our businesses and our workforce, and Keep Anne Arundel Open.”

County Executive Pittman was joined by Anne Arundel Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, who outlined the details of the Keep Anne Arundel Open plan. Dr. Kalyanaraman will sign the public health order later today, and it will be effective Friday, July 10 at 5:00 p.m. The order will be posted shortly on the county health department website and the county's Road to Recovery webpage.

“Anne Arundel County has come a long way in slowing the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Kalyanaraman. “Thanks to the county residents who are wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, getting tested and cooperating with our contact tracers, we have seen a decline in cases and hospitalizations. Still, the disease remains in our communities, and we cannot become complacent about our health and our county’s recovery.”

The county’s 7-day rolling average for percent positive testing on July 9 was 3.47 percent, more than a point below the statewide average of 4.53 and the lowest of the six largest Maryland counties with a population over 300,000. Anne Arundel was also the first Maryland county to implement universal contact tracing for positive cases and the first to create a Coronavirus Health Equity Initiative.

County Executive Pittman credited the low positivity numbers to Health Officer Dr. Kalyanaraman and his team at the Anne Arundel County Health Department, the local businesses who have worked diligently to implement safe practices, and county residents who have worn face coverings and practiced social distancing in compliance with local and state recommendations.    

The second initiative includes a series of workforce assistance programs designed to help laid-off workers and connect them with job training and placement support. While 70,000 county residents have managed to navigate the state Unemployment Insurance program, thousands more have either been left out due to bureaucratic failure or ineligibility.

The workforce assistance initiative has three components:

The Excluded Worker Humanitarian Fund will provide cash assistance in the form of a $500 debit card to up to 4,000 laid off workers who do not have access to state unemployment benefits.

The Rapid Re-employment program will bring on additional staff to provide traditional job readiness and placement services and pay for the cost of occupational training programs in high-growth industries. 

The Youth Employment Program will offer opportunity to 100 young people (age 16-24). Some will participate in an online job readiness program and others will work with county agencies in the community. All will be paid a stipend of $11 per hour.

“The economic impacts of this pandemic have hit the hard-working families who are the foundation of our economy - the low wage workers,” said County Executive Pittman. “These workforce assistance programs, particularly our Excluded Worker Humanitarian Fund, offer direct support to the people who need it most.”

These programs will be managed by Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation and the application period opens at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, July 13. Individuals can sign up and find more information at www.aawdc.org.

Best Practice Guidance For Restaurants and Bars And Social gathering guidelines

The state of Maryland has released a best practice guide to re open bars and restaurants.

The PDF of the guidance can be found by clicking the links below:

Guidance For Restaurants and Bars

Social Gathering Guidelines

To know about other changes and guidance for the re opening of Maryland businesses, you can also visit the following website:   https://open.maryland.gov/backtobusiness/ 

The PBA is looking forward to all of our businesses having the permission to safely re open.   We will continue to provide information as we receive it to help in the re opening process.

Please remember to support your local businesses as they begin their re opening process. 

County Executive Pittman Announces Additional Stage Two Reopening Actions

The following is the announcement regarding stage two plans from Anne Arundel County from their website.

"Anne Arundel County will align with state guidance on outdoor amusements and limited indoor seating for restaurants

Annapolis, Md. (June 10, 2020) County Executive Pittman announced today that Anne Arundel County will implement additional Stage 2 reopenings on Friday, June 12 at 5:00 p.m., in line with Governor Larry Hogan’s latest executive order. At that time, county restaurants may begin offering limited indoor seating up to 50% capacity with strict safety precautions in place. Outdoor amusements and rides, including miniature golf and go-kart tracks, may also resume under state guidance.

To address concerns that state reopening actions are happening too quickly, County Executive Pittman and county Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman announced that Anne Arundel County will put an additional layer of precautions onto some of the reopening actions. This includes a requirement for face coverings for employees and customers in retail businesses and inside restaurants. 

County Executive Pittman released the following statement:

“Moving forward at this pace carries some risk, but the confusion created by separate rules from the state and local jurisdictions does not work from a planning or a public health perspective. We must all be in this together.

Our ability to keep our numbers declining now depends on strict adherence to best practices by our businesses, and careful distancing and face covering by our residents. With government restrictions being relaxed, it is time for us as individuals to complete the work we started. Let’s isolate this virus.”

County Executive Pittman made his announcement after reviewing Governor Hogan's latest executive order and guidance and consulting with health officials, his county attorney, and his COVID-19 recovery work group. The County Executive will sign an executive order tomorrow before 5:00 p.m. to enable these new reopening actions. 

Anne Arundel County intends to follow state reopenings for indoor fitness facilities, casinos, arcades and malls on June 19, consistent with Governor Hogan’s order. Also on that date, the county will reopen restrooms and playgrounds in county parks.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health maintains a reopening dashboard to track public health measures that influence policy decisions. Other resources and information is available on the county’s road to recovery webpage.

Anne Arundel County Further Stage One Re Opening Guidelines

Anne Arunedl County Executive Steuart Pittman has released further stage one re opening guidelines.

The guidelines appear to bring AA County more in line with the state phase one guidelines starting at 5pm tonight (5/29/2020).

A PDF regarding the specifics for restaurant guidelines can be found using the following link:

RESTAURANT GUIDELINES

Below is the press release provided to the PBA:

County Executive Pittman Announces Further Stage One Reopenings 

Annapolis, Md. (May 28, 2020) Today, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced that restaurants and bars can open for outdoor seating service on Friday, May 29 at 5:00 p.m. under state guidelines. He also advanced the date for the opening of retail businesses to coincide with restaurants. The announcements come after County Executive Pittman consulted with health officials and his recovery workgroup, which includes health, business, and faith leaders, as well as two members of the County Council.

County Executive Pittman will sign two executive orders tomorrow before 5:00 p.m. to put these new policies in place.

"I am able to make these announcements today because our public health recovery metrics have improved, and our staff has delivered the regulatory changes needed to move forward more quickly than expected," said County Executive Pittman. "We are able to move from the blunt tools of shutdown to the sharper tools of testing, contact tracing, and innovative safety measures that our businesses have developed."

County Executive Pittman will put these changes into the context of the long-term pandemic response tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at the county Emergency Operations Center in Glen Burnie. He will be joined by Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, Police Chief Timothy Altomare, and the new Director of Emergency Management Preeti Emrick.

The specific actions announced today are:

Beginning Friday, May 29 at 5 p.m.:

Non-essential businesses that are currently operating under curbside pickup only are able to open to customers. The maximum number of occupants (customers and employees) will be calculated based on 150 square feet per person. Businesses will be required to have protective measures in place regarding physical distancing and face coverings will be required for everyone in the store. Specific details and guidance are available on the county's  Road to Recovery web page.

Foodservice establishments, which include restaurants, bars, and social clubs with dining facilities, may serve food and beverages for consumption in outdoor seating areas in accordance with state guidance. The county Office of Planning and Zoning will authorize outdoor seating for food and beverage service uses as a temporary use for up to 180 days, until or unless the emergency is lifted or revised by Executive Order. A permit application is not required for this temporary use, if it complies with specific criteria. Specific details and guidance are available on the county's  Road to Recovery web page.

Barbers and beauty salons may open for hair services only. The maximum number of occupants will be calculated based on 100 gross square feet per person due to the small footprint of many facilities and the necessity of closer personal interaction in order for services to be provided. Specific details and guidance are available on the county's  Road to Recovery web page.

Additional Recreation and Parks amenities will open:

• Dog parks
• Dog beaches
• County park beaches
• Pavilions (reservations required)

Private youth camps are allowed to open under state guidance.

Swimming at county or community beaches is no longer prohibited, but swimmers are advised that no routine bacteria testing has been conducted. Swimmers swim at their own risk until water quality monitoring can resume. 

Beginning June 1 at 8:00 a.m.:

Additional Recreation and Parks amenities will open:

• Athletic fields for youth skills training only - no organized activities (usual field permitting for accredited organizations is required) 
• Basketball courts

Beginning June 5:

Beginning June 5, seasonal outdoor pools will be inspected on a rolling basis. Pools can open once they are approved. Seasonal outdoor pools are inspected each spring prior to their opening and this year those inspections were postponed due to the suspension of all non-essential activity. 

Beginning July 6:

• Modified county outdoor day camps begin (camps will be limited to 10, 8 children and 2 staff)
• Registration will begin June 11
• Traditional Camps are cancelled
• Speciality Camps are delayed to July/August

No additional actions are being announced with regard to houses of worship and religious institutions at this time. They remain opened for up to 10 people at a time for individual ministry. County Executive Pittman met with more than 50 pastors and faith leaders today and is working towards a plan to safely expand the capacity allowed in our houses of worship.

The following remain closed until further notice:

• Senior Centers
• Fitness Centers 
• Movie Theaters (including "pop-up" drive-in theaters) 
• Shopping Malls 
• Nail Salons
• Playgrounds
• County park visitors centers
• County park restrooms
• Indoor aquatic centers
• Recreation centers

More information found on the county website:  https://www.aacounty.org/coronavirus/road-to-recovery/index.html

The PBA received the following release froM County Executive Pittman's office.

Annapolis, Md. (May 22, 2020) Today, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced new measures the county intends to take to begin the process of opening barber shops, beauty salons and other "non-essential" retail businesses on June 1. The County Executive's announcement comes after two meetings of his recovery work group, discussions with county health officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, and input from other business and community leaders.

Anne Arundel County will become the first Maryland county to set maximum occupancy for non-essential retail businesses based on gross square footage, which has a direct relationship to safe social distancing requirements. The Phase One reopening actions announced today remain contingent on continued progress on public health metrics.

"This action allows small businesses to operate and people to get back to work, while limiting the potential spread of the virus," said County Executive Pittman. "We all want this to succeed, so I am confident that our business owners, employees, and customers will comply with safety guidelines and help our county businesses reopen responsibly."

Non-essential businesses are currently operating under county Executive Order #21, which allows curbside pickup only. Beginning June 1, these businesses will be allowed to open to customers. The maximum number of occupants (customers and employees) will be calculated based on 150 square feet per person. Businesses will be required to have protective measures in place regarding physical distancing and face coverings will be required for everyone in the store. Specific details and guidance are being prepared by the county Department of Health and will be released next week.

CDC guidelines recommend social distancing that results in six feet between people. The area of a six foot circle around one person is approximately 113 square feet. The 150 square foot area for non-essential retail businesses represents a reasonable margin of safety since employees and customers move throughout the store and are not spaced equally at all times.

Barbers and beauty salons are currently open for hair services only, but limited to one customer per establishment. Beginning June 1, the maximum number of occupants will be calculated based on 100 gross square feet per person due to the small footprint of many facilities and the necessity of closer personal interaction in order for services to be provided. Additional guidance and precautionary measures will be provided by the Department of Health next week.

More information found on the county website:  https://www.aacounty.org/coronavirus/road-to-recovery/index.html

COVID-19 Resources

Letter To County Executive Pittman From PBA President Brian Conrad

Dear Executive Pittman

On behalf of the over 200 members and businesses of the Pasadena Business Association, I am writing to formally express our displeasure and concern with your recent decision to not follow the Governor’s phase one role out.

Anne Arundel County is one of the least hit and lowest affected counties in our state.  We are not one of the more densely populated places such as Baltimore County or Baltimore City, and we do not have the illnesses or cases of the virus that our neighbor Prince George’s County is experiencing.  Additionally, our county is home to the state capital and we should be leading by example out of this restrictive environment, not further hindering and slowing its recovery.

There is no reason Anne Arundel County cannot follow state guidelines.  If we can safely enter stores such as Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart, 

we can certainly do the same, and in many cases much more safely, in smaller locations which have been more hardly hit by these overreaching restrictions.

Many businesses have spent time and money complying with the Governor’s outlined recommendations which he delivered on Wednesday (5/13/2020), only for you to turn around and cancel those plans with your restrictions 24 hours later (5/14/2020).  Our small businesses and their families are being devastated every day they are not allowed to open.

When you spoke to our membership at our town hall meeting just before your election, you portrayed yourself as an advocate for small business.  It is time for you to live up to that portrayal and support small business and their families.

The members and businesses of the Pasadena Business Association respectfully disagree with your measures and strongly urge you to adjust your guidelines to follow those of our governor.

Sincerely yours,

Brian M. Conrad, President, Pasadena Business Association

This is what we received from County Executive Pittman's office regarding a PPE grant being offered by the county.

It is a nice gesture that are providing assistance in re opening.  But it would be even greater gesture if he actually allowed the businesses to re open.  Our member businesses that were forced to shut down have had over 8 weeks to prepare for re opening and most are prepared and ready to move forward with a safe re opening plan. 

Below is press release information on the grant.  #PBAShopLocal

"Today Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced the Small Business Customer and Employee Protection Grant Program, which is designed to assist local businesses purchase products and services needed for safe reopening in compliance with COVID-19 regulations. The program is supported with $ 5 million from the county's allotment of funding from the federal CARES Act and will be managed by the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC). 

"Local government will never have the resources to prevent the economic disruptions brought on by this pandemic, but we can step in to help small local businesses meet the challenges they face in protecting both their customers and their employees from COVID-19." said County Executive Pittman. "This program not only helps our small businesses to reopen safely, but it allows them to implement best practices that will serve the future public health needs of our county." 

Through the program, a small business, particularly minority, women and veteran owned businesses, within the county or the City of Annapolis can apply for a grant of up to $10,000 to cover the cost of the following purchases: 

● PPE for employees 

● Protective shields/dividers 

● Sanitation products and services such as: 

o Disinfection UV lamps 

o Biocide/mold bomb foggers 

● Digital signage and floor/wall/window graphics 

● Technology (hardware, software, applications, online platforms) for the purposes of: 

o Wellness scans 

o Virtual meetings 

o Business website upgrades 

o Customer communications and marketing 

o E-commerce 

● Delivery vehicles and equipment 

● Professional consultation services such as legal and human resources experts to understand compliance regulations 

● Workforce training to help employees understand and act on compliance best practices 

The grant may be used as a reimbursement for eligible past purchases made after March 29, 2020. Businesses will be required to submit invoices to demonstrate proof of purchases. 

To be eligible for the program, an entity must be an Anne Arundel County based for-profit business with 50 or less employees and must be in good standing with the State of Maryland.

Applicants will be required to submit a budget detailing purchases and vendors as well as financial documents such as business tax returns, Schedule C, or a profit and loss statement. 

Preference for funds will be given to industries most directly affected by local/state/national quarantine rules. 

AAEDC is currently developing a portal on its website where businesses can create an account and complete the entire application process. To be notified of when the online application is available, interested businesses should get on AAEDC's notification list by sending an email to grants@aaedc.org.

Additional details such as application FAQs, industry safety guidelines and a list of local vendors are available on the GRANT PROGRAM PAGE"