Area healthcare experts joined government and business leaders from both sides of the Red River to announce the launching of Open Safe SBC, a campaign to encourage businesses and the public to collaborate to safely re-open local businesses. The campaign encourages businesses to adopt healthcare-driven guidelines and recommendations for employee protection, facility sanitation and customer interaction to ensure employee and customer safety is at the forefront, while allowing increased service delivery.
To support this effort, both municipalities as well as a significant number of healthcare and economic development groups from the region have come together to create opensafesbc.com – a comprehensive website filled with information to help businesses re-open and at the same time protect its employees and customers. The information is supported by healthcare professionals, business leaders, government officials and others to help re-start Northwest Louisiana’s economy.
“We have only one chance to get this right,” said Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker. “Our area and many of our local businesses could not survive if there was a relapse which required a second shutdown.”
The guidelines balance the health of the public with economic priorities. For businesses those include temperature screenings of employees, COVID-19 testing, return-to-work protocols, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and aggressive cleaning. For the public, masks, continued social distancing and limiting large scale gatherings are key to lowering the number of COVID-19 infections.
“This website is a one-shop for businesses needing guidance as they re-open,” said Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce President Tim Magner. “Citizens will also find useful information to keep them and their family members’ safe as we re-start our area’s economy.” The campaign also includes billboards and public service announcements reminding everyone that together we can safely re-open for business.
