Minnesota community initiative showcases efforts to reopen safely in Rochester

Minnesota community initiative showcases efforts to reopen safely in Rochester

By
Dana Sparks

June 22, 2020

a landscape photo of downtown Rochester Minnesota, including the Mayo Clinic campus with a blue sky, some clouds and the Zumbro River with green trees in the foreground

A new initiative seeks to instill confidence in residents, and patients and visitors so they feel safe as they shop, dine, play and stay in Rochester.

ROCHESTER, Minn. – On Monday, June 22, the city of Rochester, Olmsted County, Mayo Clinic, Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency, Experience Rochester, and the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce launched "Rochester Ready," an initiative aimed at ensuring a safe and resilient recovery for Rochester.

The first phase of Rochester Ready is a hospitality safety pledge for restaurants, retailers and lodging properties called "Rochester Ready Safe." Businesses that sign the pledge are committing to implementing a specific set of measures to provide a safe experience. The pledge aligns with preparedness plans required by the state of Minnesota, but it does ask that businesses signing the pledge institute a requirement that all employees wear nonmedical cloth masks.

The goal of this program is to instill confidence in residents, visitors and patients so they feel safe as they shop, dine, play and stay in Rochester.

Policies and practices to reduce COVID-19 transmission risks include:

Physical distancing.
Employees reporting COVID-19 symptoms and staying home when ill.
All employees required to wear nonmedical (cloth) face coverings and use other hygiene and respiratory droplet controls.
Guests encouraged to wear nonmedical (cloth) face coverings
Cleaning and sanitizing.
Building and ventilation controls.
Working with Olmsted County Public Health when guests or employees become ill.
Other controls specific to industry, such as lodging, restaurant and retail.

For more information and a list of businesses that have taken the pledge, visit the Rochester Ready website.

Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding along with guidelines and recommendations may have changed since the original publication date.

Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for additional updates on COVID-19. For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.