Amid concerns about the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus for businesses and employers to plan for and respond to community outbreaks in the United States of COVID-19.

Much of what the agency is recommending falls under what’s considered good hygiene in general: Make sure to wash hands frequently, cover coughs and sneezes and be vigilant in cleaning common surfaces in the workplace.

The CDC also stresses that businesses should encourage sick employees to remain at home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing meds—and waive any requirements for a doctor’s note as local medical facilities may be overwhelmed. The agency also asks that employers be flexible in allowing their staff to stay home to care for family members who may be ill.

The CDC says that employees with confirmed cases of COVID-19 or a family member with a confirmed infection should notify their supervisor and refer to CDC guidance on how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure. The CDC recommends that employers inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, but keep the information confidential as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

NACS is monitoring developments in the U.S. “The 24/7 convenience and fuel retailing industry is well-versed in emergency preparations, and some of the same best practices we employ in the face of hurricanes and other hazards, for example, can be applied to operations in the face of a national health crisis,” said Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic communications.

The NACS emergency preparedness toolkit can help. You can find the toolkit at www.convenience.org/disaster, and look for the NACS Convenience Store Emergency Planning and Job Aids resource. The information includes a plan evaluation document, as well as tasks and checklists for store employees to perform during emergency and disaster planning and recovery. The guide and individual job aids aren’t hazard-specific, and several can be used by retailers in pandemic scenarios.