COVID-19 Business and Facility Guidance

The health department works to identify potential outbreaks and clusters early and ensure that steps to prevent or reduce the spread of COVID-19 are taken as quickly as possible.

2023 Updates for Employers:

As at-home antigen tests become more available and community testing sites begin to close, employers can expect that most employees will detect COVID-19 infectious at home. Proctored testing with a doctor or testing facility is not needed following a positive at home antigen. 

As our community becomes more familiar with isolation precautions and our focus shifts to resource coordination for at-risk individuals, employees are unlikely to be contacted by public health for an interview and will not receive a notice of isolation in most situations. Employees are encouraged to use the CDC’s isolation calculator or consult with their primary care provider to determine when it is safe to return to in person activities including work. 

With these changes in mind, we encourage employers to continue supporting employees in remaining home while actively infectious with COVID-19. 
 

When an employer has multiple employees who have tested positive for COVID-19:

If you require additional support please email comm-disease@larimer.org  or call our communicable disease team at 970-498-6708. 

General Guidance for Employers     

Here are some strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19 in your business or workplace. These recommendations can be used when a business has a single employee who does or may have COVID-19.   

• Be on the lookout for illness. Identify and exclude sick employees before they enter the workplace. Screening protocols can be found here.

  • Sick employees should seek testing and remain home from work when COVID-19 like symptoms develop especially if they have had a recent exposure. 

• Observe appropriate isolation periods. Isolation- Exclude those who have tested positive for COVID-19 for at least 5 days after the start of symptoms or test collection date for those who did not develop symptoms (day 0). Employees should remain in isolation longer if symptoms are not resolving or a fever is still present. Employees should mask in the community and around others, including shared work places for 5 additional days after leaving isolation.

  • Employees who develop COVID-19 like symptoms should follow isolation protocols, especially after an exposure.

  • Someone who is confirmed to have COVID-19 does not need to be retested to leave isolation and return to work.  

  • Positive results from at home antigen tests should be accepted as evidence of a current infection and do not need to be confirmed with proctored testing at a provider's office or laboratory.

• Notify Exposed Individuals. Individuals who were recently exposed to COVID-19 should take precautions for 10 days following their date of exposure (day 0). Quarantine (remaining home) following an exposure is no longer required in routine settings. Consider sending exposure notifications to patrons and staff when there has been an exposure in your workplace or business.

  • This exposure notification template has been provided for your convenience: 
    • Exposure Notification Template

  • Exposure/Close contact is defined as being a household member, intimate partner, caregiver without appropriate PPE, or having any close contact (<6 feet) for 15 or more minutes over a 24 hour period to a person with confirmed COVID-19 starting 48 hours before their symptom onset (or date tested if asymptomatic) until they meet criteria for release from isolation.

• Testing. It is recommended that all individuals be tested 5 days after a COVID-19 exposure or immediately following symptoms. If an employee has a positive result on a viral test which includes at-home antigen tests they should begin isolation and remain home from work. Proctored testing with a doctor or testing facility is not needed following a positive at home antigen. 

  • Information on testing locations in Larimer County can be found on our website.

• Vaccination. Vaccination is recommended for all individuals as the best way to protect the health of your employees and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Read more about vaccine availability in our community

•  Additional Recommendations:

  • Routinely clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces to control the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Review CDPHE environmental cleaning guidance for COVID-19. from CDPHE.

  • Managing a building’s Heating Ventilation And Cooling system and other methods of increasing ventilation indoors can play a role as part of a plan to minimize COVID-19 transmission risk. Ventilation, HVAC systems and COVID-19 risks from CDPHE.

  • If you are experiencing an increase in COVID-like illness, consider supporting remote work options when possible along with limiting the number or size of in person meetings.

  • Identify where and how workers might be exposed to COVID-19 at work

  • Share information with employees on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19

Sector Specific Guidance

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides additional guidance by sector on their webpage here.