Source: WATE | April 27, 2020

The city of Oak Ridge released their external community guidelines for businesses, restaurants, and public facilities on Monday in response to the governor’s announcement of a phased reopening of the state’s economy.

The following are several guidelines that Oak Ridge has released:

Daily Business Activity:

  • Minimize or eliminate the need for waiting rooms and lobby areas by using outdoor space or asking customers to remain in vehicles
  • Install protective barriers where a 6-foot separation is not possible to protect customers and employees
  • Sanitize common-use areas and amenities such as coffee pots, microwaves, refrigerators, restrooms, doors, computers and printers
  • Utilize online meeting services when practical to minimize social interaction
  • Utilize external space outside of business facilities to maintain social distancing requirements of 6 feet
  • Limit gathering to no more than 10 people and distance appropriately
  • Encourage online shopping and store-to-business delivery
  • Engage in telecommuting with employees when possible
  • Limit points of entry by public for better hygiene controls
  • Engage frequent cleaning and sanitizing

Restaurants and Facilities:

  • Provide personal protective equipment for employees to handle food or merchandise
  • Face coverings and gloves are to be used by employees and customers are encouraged to use masks (except customers may remove face coverings while eating and drinking)
  • Establish social distancing of 6 feet between tables, chairs and individuals
  • Capacity (50%) is measured on number of tables prior to 3/1/20 and 6-foot distance is measured from chair back to chair back. Capacity plan should not include bar area
  • Conduct sanitary cleaning of tables and chairs after each seating/turnover
  • Shared condiment containers shall be cleaned after each customer and single use condiment packets are encouraged
  • Restaurants with a bar may serve dine-in customers or as part of to-go orders. Beer licenses by state law are for premises only and does not include areas outside of restaurants or patio facilities
  • Curbside pickup and delivery are encouraged as alternate options
  • No live music or dance floors (to avoid creating congregation of customers and employees)
  • No self-service buffets, salad bars, or self-service condiment or beverage stations that require the consumer to touch any part of the dispensing apparatus. No refills on self-service beverages.
  • Continuously screen incoming employees and customers for symptoms and use temperature checks before accessing facilities

Retail Stores and Facilities

  • Employees and customers should always wear face coverings inside stores
  • Develop shopping hours for aged and vulnerable populations
  • Continuously prompt customers to observe social distancing
  • Retail stores should use 50% of the defined store capacity limits exclusive for 3rdparty vendor space. Call (865) 425-3524 with questions
  • Rearrange floor displays/racks to encourage one-way routing or greater separation of customers
  • Employees should frequently clean hands with sanitizer or soap

Remaining Regulated Public Facilities

  • Current Tennessee Executive Orders state that bars, salons, barbershops, theaters and gyms are not included in the above changes and will remain closed
  • Government buildings will remain closed to the public except for arranged visits and appointments
  • Public playground facilities will remain closed
  • Gatherings of more than 10 individuals are prohibited by Executive Order, except equivalents of the 50% capacity rule for restaurants