With New York and Connecticut opening up most of their beaches, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered guidance to beach-goers to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the states begin recovering from the virus.
Anyone at the beach has been instructed to socially distance at least six feet apart, and face coverings should be worn. The CDC said that staff and beach visitors should not share food, equipment, toys, or supplies with people they don’t live with.
“Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected because he or she does not have symptoms," the CDC stated. “Cloth face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators. Cloth face coverings are not personal protective equipment.”
The CDC said that closer interactions with people who don’t live together raise the risk of spreading the virus, and the longer any interaction is, the greater the chance one could contract COVID-19.
Beach managers have been advised to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as handrails, water slides, door handles, and bathroom faucets, as well as shared items.
Signage promoting everyday protective measures is also being installed to advise patrons about how to slow the spread of the virus.
According to the CDC, any staff member that gets sick will not be permitted to return to work until they self-quarantine for at least 14 days.
In addition, staff members must notify their manager or the designated COVID-19 point of contact if they have symptoms of COVID-19, have been diagnosed with the virus, are waiting for test results, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
Complete guidance from the CDC can be found here.
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