In light of Wisconsin reopening, please click here for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) latest guidelines on best practices for the reopening of restaurants. Here are some highlights:

• Post signage that promotes daily protective measures against COVID-19.
• Train your employees on how to safely and correctly utilize disinfectants.
• Ensure all areas, including waiting areas and restrooms, are properly and more frequently stocked, cleaned, sanitized and disinfected with approved COVID-19-fighting substances.
• Clean and sanitize any ice machines and bins.
• After use, wash, rinse and sanitize food and beverage preparation and contact surfaces.
  
• Continuously clean and disinfect high-touch areas and equipment, such as door knobs, grocery cart handles, display cases, order kiosks, and check-out counters.
• Remove self-service containers among other items that involve frequent hand contact, such as tablecloths, condiment bottles and reusable menus.
  
• If possible, stock single-use and single-service items. If not, all reusable service items should be handled with gloves and washed using hot water and dish soap or in a dishwasher. After handling used service items with gloves, employees should wash their hands.
• Remind employees of proper handwashing techniques, which includes washing their hands for at least twenty seconds.
• Paper towels should be readily available in restrooms so that customers can avoid touching door handles directly.
• Consider placing hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol throughout the facility.
• As much as possible, increase the circulation of outdoor air. This may be done by turning on fans or opening windows and doors, if able.
• Properly store your food, its packaging, and chemicals to avoid cross contamination.
• Equip all warewashing equipment with sanitizer and detergent.
• Follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines to best monitor the health of your employees.
• Adequately supply and create a policy regarding PPE for your employees.
• Take measures to ensure at least six feet of distance between workers and customers to minimize face-to-face contact.

As Wisconsin reopens slowly but surely, I hope our restaurants remain cognizant of these guidelines as the rest of us continue to follow social distancing guidelines to safeguard our own health. Through observing necessary precautions together, we will ensure a clean, safe and healthy return to normalcy and a bounce-back of our state's economy.

On Thursday, I joined the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce for a virtual town hall meeting to discuss the state of COVID-19 and how we can get safely reopen the economy and get Wisconsin Working.