Task force aims to help Whatcom businesses provide workplaces safe from coronavirus
The Whatcom County Public Health Advisory Board will create a task force aimed at helping businesses begin operating safely once Gov. Jay Inslee eases the statewide social-distancing limits that have closed many stores and restaurants and idled thousands of workers in the wake of the new coronavirus pandemic.
The task force approved Thursday, April 23, will be composed of community members and representatives of business sectors throughout Whatcom County — from public institutions and manufacturing to retail stores and services such as nail salons and restaurants, board members said.
An application process to join the task force will be established next week, members agreed during Thursday’s online meeting, which was open to the public.
Returning to a sense of normalcy won’t happen quickly, said Dr. Greg Stern, Whatcom County health officer.
“This is going to be a long haul,” Stern told the panel, which advises the Whatcom County Health Department.
A key task force goal is to improve infection-control measures once businesses open again.
“How do we work together to minimize damage from both the virus and the economic impact?” Stern said.
A first wave of COVID-19 infections appears to have peaked, because the rate of new cases in Whatcom County continues to slow, public health officials said.
Inslee’s stay-home orders and business closures are set to expire May 4, but Inslee said in an address Tuesday, April 21, that the limits won’t be lifted all at once.
“It will look more like a turn of the dial than a flip of the switch,” Inslee said. “We’re going to take steps and then monitor to see whether they work or if we must continue to adapt.”
Board member Dr. Les Seelye, a local dentist, said he thinks the process of returning to work should be thoughtful and methodical.
“Success for me would be limiting loss of life and opening in a way that we don’t have to lock down again,” Seelye said.
Board chairwoman Dr. Chi-Na Stoane said that it was important for the task force to establish standards for public safety.
“Everyone has skin in the game,” Stoane said. “If businesses have guidelines first, then they know what to shoot for.”
Erika Lautenbach, Health Department director, said public health officials want to help businesses keep both their employees and customers safe.
“This is one of a number of strategies that the Health Department is employing to address COVID-19,” she said.
The spelling of Dr. Chi-Na Stoane’s name was corrected April 24, 2020.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
