We received this letter yesterday (3/25/2020) from Beth Schweitzer, the Seneca County (Ohio) Health Commissioner, and she asked if we could publish and send it out. We were happy to agree, and we appreciate her leadership and the Seneca County General Health District in this difficult time.

Dear Business and Industry Owners in Seneca County,

As your health commissioner here in Seneca County I am charged with doing all in my power to protect the health of my citizens.  You as employers are crucial in my effort to prevent the spread of COVID – 19 and prevent adverse outcomes from this pandemic.

I am going to stress what you must do as a responsible employer.  Please follow the guidance I am providing below:

• Make sure you provide the opportunity for your employees to follow the social distancing rule of no less than six feet apart while working and while taking their breaks.  Do not allow employees to congregate in the lunch or break room.
• Please have available hand sanitizer and allow employees to break to wash hands regularly.
• Be diligent in cleaning surfaces that are touched frequently by multiple people.  I have read that the virus can live on stainless steel for two days and on plastic for three.  This is crucial.
• Be generous with sick time for employees.  Employees should not come to work when sick.  You should be monitoring temperatures before they walk into the work place.  Ask your employees how they are feeling.  Please care about them.
• If you are not an essential business, please,  you must follow the Director of Health’s order as of 11:59 p.m. on March 23, 2020 and close.

I truly hope you will read this and heed these requirements above.  Can you think of anything better than knowing your actions saved a life?

Yours truly,

Beth Schweitzer