• All employers should remain alert to and informed about changing outbreak conditions as they relate to community spread of the virus and testing availability. They should implement infection prevention and control measures accordingly.

• Employers should develop and implement a COVID-19 response plan that uses the hierarchy of controls and other tools to address worker protection during an outbreak.

Measures for protecting workers from exposure to and infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), depends on exposure risk. That risk varies based on:

• The type of work being performed,
• The potential for interaction (prolonged or otherwise) with people, and
• Contamination of the work environment.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers should adopt infection prevention and control strategies based on a thorough workplace hazard assessment. Those strategies include using appropriate combinations of engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent worker exposures. Some OSHA standards that involve the prevention of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 also require employers to train workers on elements of infection prevention and control like PPE.

All employers should remain alert to and informed about changing outbreak conditions as they relate to community spread of the virus and testing availability. They should implement infection prevention and control measures accordingly.

General guidance for all workers and employers

For all workers, regardless of specific exposure risks to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, it is always a good practice to:

• Wear cloth face coverings, at a minimum, at all times when around coworkers or the general public. If a respirator, such as an N95 respirator or better, is needed for conducting work activities, then that respirator should be used, and the worker should use a cloth face covering when the worker is not using the respirator (such as during breaks or while commuting).
• Frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap and running water are not immediately available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropanol as active ingredients and rub the hands together until they are dry. Always wash hands that are visibly soiled.
• Avoid touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Practice good respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes or coughing/sneezing into your elbow/upper sleeve.
• Avoid close contact (within six feet for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with people who are visibly sick, and practice physical distancing with coworkers and the public.
• Stay home if sick.
• Recognize personal risk factors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), certain people, including older adults and those with underlying conditions such as heart or lung disease, chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, liver disease, diabetes, immune deficiencies, or obesity, are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Additional guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other federal agencies may be relevant to both workers and employers.