What requirements do retail businesses need to follow? 

• Direct customers and staff to stay at least six feet apart except at point of sale if applicable

• Limit occupancy to not more than 50 percent of stated fire capacity and ensure that social distancing of six feet apart is possible

• Mark six feet of spacing in lines at point of sale and in other high-traffic customer areas

• Perform frequent and routine environmental cleaning and disinfection of high-touch areas with an EPA-approved disinfectant for COVID-19

• Provide, whenever available, hand sanitizer stations, and ensure soap and hand drying materials are available at sinks

• Conduct daily symptom screening of employees before entering the workplace and immediately send symptomatic workers home

• Have a plan in place to immediately isolate an employee from work if symptoms develop

• Post signage at the main entrances to remind people about Recommendations to Promote Social Distancing and Reduce Transmission, to request people who 3 are or have recently been symptomatic not to enter, and to notify customers of the reduced store capacity.

What should shopkeepers do?

• Direct workers to stay at least six feet apart from one another and from customers, to the greatest extent possible

• Provide designated times for seniors and other high-risk populations to access services

• Develop and use systems that allow for online, email, or telephone ordering, no-contact curbside or drive-through pickup or home delivery, and contact-free checkout.

What about high-volume retail?

• Install acrylic or plastic shields at cash registers

• Clearly mark designated entry and exit points

• Provide assistance with routing through aisles in the store

What are recommended policies for all businesses?

• Continue to promote telework and limit non-essential travel

• Promote social distancing by reducing the number of people coming to the office, providing six feet of distance between desks, and/or staggering shifts

• Limit face-to-face meetings to no more than ten people

• Promote hygiene, including frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer

• Recommend employees wear cloth face coverings and provide employees with information on proper use, removal, and washing of cloth face coverings, which protect other people more than the wearer

• Make accommodations for workers who are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19, such as having high risk workers work in a position that is not public facing

• Encourage sick employees to stay home and provide support to do so by providing sick leave policies

• Follow CDC guidance if an employee has been diagnosed with COVID-19

• Provide education on COVID-19 strategies for staff such as videos, webinars, FAQs

• Promote information on helplines for employees such as 211 and Hope4NC Helpline.

To read the governor’s order, click here.