As Guam begins the gradual process of reopening its economy guidance on best practices are coming from various government authorities. This blog post supplements our May 10 post entitled, “Guam Reopening Guidelines” with a specific focus on retail food establishments.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published its “Best Practices for Re-Opening Retail Food Establishments During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Food Safety Checklist" on May 8, 2020. The web post provides a food safety re-opening checklist addressing retail food establishment food safety considerations in the commencement of operations. The downloadable food safety checklist addresses numerous considerations, from facility operations to warewashing to employee health screening.
In addition to the food safety checklist, the FDA has designed a downloadable infographic for on-site posting and quick reference.
The FDA cautions that its checklist is not comprehensive and that retail food establishments should engage with local regulatory/health authorities “to discuss the specific requirements for their retail food establishment prior to re-opening.”
Do not forget to keep current with general business function guidelines established by Guam officials, like COVID-19 social distancing, occupancy rules, and cleaning and sanitation requirements. The Government of Guam’s Department of Public Health and Social Services’ May 7, 2002 Guidance Memo provides further reopening guidelines to Guam businesses. As of the date of this post, Guam is in Pandemic Condition of Readiness 2 (“PCOR 2”).
The information contained in this blog post should not be construed as legal advice. This information is provided as a service to clients and colleagues. Questions regarding the matters discussed may be directed to the lawyers at Blair Sterling Johnson & Martinez (https://www.bsjmlaw.com/attorneys).