How Philadelphia Businesses are Providing Sanitary Conditions for Their Patrons

With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to threaten our communities, Philadelphia businesses are required to adopt new measures for the sake of public health. These steps are intended to keep employees and customers safe while businesses continue to operate as usual. Here are some standard policies businesses around the city have implemented to keep the public safe. 

Social Distancing

Stores, restaurants, and other businesses must enforce social distancing. Many use tape or other physical markers to keep patrons at a safe distance. Research has shown that this is the single most effective action in slowing the spread of the deadly virus.

Limited Capacity

Many businesses, most notably restaurants and event halls, must operate at partial capacity. Sit-down restaurants are only permitted to admit 50% of what is typically allocated to them under the city’s fire code. Indoor events can only fill up to 25%, making it easier for people to social distance.

Exclusive Senior Areas

Supermarkets and other businesses are encouraged to offer an hour of service exclusively for senior citizens. This arrangement gives the most vulnerable the chance to shop with a reduced risk of coming into contact with the virus.

Restricted Services

There are certain services that restaurants and other businesses cannot offer for the time being. Restaurants, for example, are not permitted to provide bar service. School activities that are not directly related to standard educational instruction are also limited to 25% capacity. Nightclubs are also prohibited from providing normal services. These types of activities are banned to eliminate the spread of the virus.

Plastic Barriers and Shields

Businesses are encouraged to construct barriers between customers and staff. Plastic barriers should be placed by registers to prevent spreading germs. Transparent materials are most common since they have the least effect on employee-customer interactions.

Upholstery Cleaning

Businesses are taking every aspect of cleaning seriously in hopes of lessening the chance of contagion. Many stores and restaurants are hiring commercial cleaning companies to disinfect the facility at the end of each day. Upholstery cleaning ensures that chairs or sofas are sanitized and safe for use.

Power Washing

There’s no more thorough way to clean a surface than with a power washer. Some businesses have their own equipment, while others count on commercial cleaning services. Power washing ensures that the floors of outdoor patios and other surfaces are immaculate and presentable. Most businesses use cleaning solutions that increase power washing’s effectiveness against the virus.

Electrostatic Disinfecting

Electrostatic disinfecting is an effective commercial cleaning practice that removes potentially-harmful substances from surfaces. It doubles the cleaning process’s speed, making it ideal for businesses that need to clean large spaces in a short amount of time.

Providing Hand Sanitizer

Businesses are making hand sanitizer available by the entrances and exits to ensure customers keep their hands clean. Unwashed hands are a great way to spread germs. Not everyone is as responsible as they should be about washing their hands, so by providing hand sanitizer at the doors, businesses can ensure that no one on the premises is spreading the virus by touch.

Offering Takeout and Delivery

Many restaurants that don’t typically offer these services have changed their policies to account for the pandemic. By offering delivery and curbside pickup, restaurants manage to stay in business even without dine-in service!

Signage

If there’s anything we’ve learned during the months of the pandemic, it’s that communication is key to the effective implementation of public health measures. Businesses are clearly stating the necessary instructions on their walls and doors so that all visitors understand the requirements and procedures they’re expected to follow. 

Philadelphia businesses are going the extra mile to keep their customers safe. Their efforts have been and will continue to help get things back to normal safely and efficiently.