With the State now open, and all businesses and activities allowed, guidance documents particular to various types of businesses and other entities are no longer required. However, as the need to remain mindful of the dangers posed by COVID-19 and its emerging variant strains continues, the following general recommendations are being offered for businesses and other entities to consider while operating.

COVID-19 Safety Recommendations

These recommendations are meant to be read together with any recommendations or guidelines that may be published by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
 
Outdoor Activities
To the extent possible, you may wish to consider moving your activities outdoors. Public health experts agree that moving activities outdoors ensures a safer environment and reduced chance of exposure and spread of COVID-19 and any variants.

Vaccinations
Governor Jim Justice urges all eligible West Virginians to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. For more information, visit vaccinate.wv.gov.

To set up an appointment for the State’s vaccination team to come to your business to offer vaccinations to your staff and their families, as well as any patrons or members of the public you may invite to get vaccinated, call the WV Vaccine Hotline at 1-833-734-0965.

Health Screening
You may wish to consider having staff or guests self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms with the following questions:

• Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
• Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
• Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
• Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
• Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
• Temperature checks: Staff and guests are encouraged to take their temperatures regularly. If their temperature measures over 100 degrees, or if they answer yes to any of the questions above, individuals should consider utilizing West Virginia’s free COVID-19 testing resources and/or seeking medical care, per CDC guidelines.

Remote Check-In
As applicable, remote check-ins, ticketing, or sign-ups, are recommended to limit congregation in lines. You may want to consider implementing mobile or web-based check-ins.
 
Capacity Issues and Social Distancing
You may want to consider coordinating with your local health departments to manage any limitations on capacity or in-person service that may be advised based on social distancing recommendations, or which otherwise may be advised from time to time by your local health departments, in the event of positive cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 or its variants at your facility or in your community.

• For businesses or operations that use busses or shuttle services, you may want to consider limiting the number of guests in the vehicle, as well as providing adequate space between common groups of guests and keeping the windows open, to the extent practicable.

Special Accommodations
You may want to consider making special accommodations for employees that are members of a vulnerable population, for example those that are over 65 or those with infants at home, including encouraging teleworking to the greatest extent practicable, among other measures.
 
Cleaning Common Elements and Touch Points
You may want to consider extra staffing or cleaning supplies are available for your facilities to enable enhanced sanitization and cleaning measures in accordance with appropriate CDC guidelines.

Payments
You may want to consider asking customers to make non-cash payments.
 
Plan
You may want to have a plan in place in case of potential COVID-19 cases. We encourage you to work with your local health department officials as needed (i.e., monitor and trace COVID-19 cases, deep-clean facilities).

Statewide Indoor Face Covering Requirement Remains in Effect

Gov. Jim Justice’s Statewide Indoor Face Covering Requirement remains in effect.

All individuals over the age of 9 are still required to wear face coverings when in indoor, public spaces, with certain exceptions:

• Anyone who has trouble breathing through a face covering,
• Anyone who is unable to remove the face covering without assistance, and
• Anyone who is actively engaged in physical activity where wearing a face covering would substantially hinder their ability to engage in that activity.
• For example, you do not need to wear a face covering when actively engaged in sport or using an exercise machine in an indoor facility.
• But, in those examples, you should wear a face covering when sitting on the bench in sport or when transitioning between exercise machines in a fitness center.
• Also, to the extent a musical performer that is singing, for example, is separated from others by a barrier, that performer need not wear a face covering during the performance. The face covering should be worn, however, when wearing the face covering will not hinder his or her ability to perform.