Purpose 

The Whatcom County Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB) has created a COVID Employer Support Task Force to provide tools, best practices, and guidance for bringing businesses back to work while maintaining and improving infection control and social distancing. 

The Task Force will provide peer- and association-led opportunities to share information on procedures, implementation challenges, and group problem-solving. The Task Force will work to develop a set of best practices and guidelines for ensuring businesses have measures in place to protect their employees, customers, and clients from the risk of infection with COVID-19. This important work is in alignment with, but does not replace, the broader economic development and recovery efforts being undertaken at the county level. The Task Force will also be working within the framework of Washington’s Safe Start approach for reopening businesses.

The PHAB voted to set up this Task Force during their April 23, 2020 meeting. The Health Board approved the convening of the Task Force on April 30,2020. For additional information, PHAB meeting records are available online.   

Meetings 

All Task Force meetings are public. Meetings will begin on May 14, 2020 and continue until the Task Force has completed it's work. 

• Meeting calendar
• Meeting agendas, minutes, and recordings available at the Agenda Center 

Members

All applicants for the Task Force force have been accepted. The COVID Employer Support Task Force includes members from the following sectors: 

• Agriculture
• Auto dealerships 
• Business leaders from currently open businesses who are demonstrating best practices
• Chambers or business associations
• Children’s recreation and activities
• Construction 
• Employees/workforce
• Faith community
• Gyms, athletic clubs and studios
• Healthcare, including elective surgery specialists and specialty practices 
• Human service providers
• Manufacturing
• Real estate
• Retail businesses
• Restaurants, bars, and nightclubs 
• Tribal representatives, appointed by Tribal leadership 
• Community at-large
• Other sectors as identified by application