Tuesday April 14, 2020 ~ LANGFORD
~ West Shore Voice News
In taking steps to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the City of Langford is urging all local businesses to immediately adopt all possible safety measures to protect staff and customers.
The City is strongly advising that all businesses ask their staff to wear non-medical grade masks and face shields, especially those who handle and process food and groceries. To support this advisory, the City is making available, at cost, masks and face shields for all business.
Further to this mask and shield advisory, as of April 20 the following will be required of all businesses in Langford for the during of this pandemic:
- Require both store entrance and checkout lineups be marked with tape or cones every two metres, indicating where customers should stand while lined up;
- Require plexi-glass or plastic barriers be installed in a secure manner at all checkouts at locations between the customer being served and the cashier so as to create a physical barrier between the customer and the cashier and to prevent physical contact between the customer and the cashier;
- Where a business has multiple checkouts, require at least two metres of separation between the customer at one operating checkout and the cashier at the next closest operating checkout;
- Where business spaces contain aisles, require the aisles be marked to show which direction a customer should walk while at the business premises;
- Require that clear signs be posted indicating the maximum number of persons permitted in a store at any given time and limiting the number of customers to one person per sixteen metres squared of floor space open to customers;
- Prohibiting the use of containers, reusable bags, or boxes provided by customers; and
- Regulating the sale of bulk food items to ensure safe handling practices are used.
The above listed measures have been established to protect employees and customers from COVID-19. The City urges businesses to practice voluntary compliance prior to the April 20, 2020 City of Langford Council meeting, where the amended bylaw is anticipated to be adopted. We request that businesses submit any response to these changes to aproton@langford.ca by noon on April 20, 2020.
The City may fine a business $500 per infraction for those that do not comply with the bylaw, but anticipates that all businesses will comply voluntarily so it will not have to use this punitive approach.
To help support businesses with these bylaw changes, the City of Langford has ordered a supply of floor decals including one-way arrows and physical distancing markers that will be made available at no cost to businesses. The City can also direct businesses to an installer of plexiglass shields.
SUPPLY ORDERING INFORMATION
MASKS, SHIELDS, FLOOR DECALS AND PLEXIGLASS SHIELDS
Masks & Face Shields (at cost, an order form and waiver must be filled out and signed):
Pick up direct at COVID Langford Community Outreach Van:
- Wednesday April 15 Walmart Langford 11am to 1pm
- West Shore Town Centre (Tim Horton’s side) 2pm to 4pm
For additional mask and shields pick-up locations after April 15 email: dpetrie@langford.ca
Floor Decal Orders – City of Langford: eocplanning@langford.ca
Plexiglass Shields Orders – Michael Forbes: michael@forbesgroup.ca