Following is information received from the American Frozen Food Institute relative to staying operational during “shelter in place” mandates.
States and local jurisdictions are moving into lockdown mode to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Here are three steps to take to make sure your business is able to continue working as part of our national’s critical infrastructure:
- Inform your local authorities that your facility will remain operational as part of the critical infrastructure of this country. Provide them with this guidance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that defines the industries, including our broad food industry, considered critical.
- Inform your workforce of the importance of keeping our food system operating and that includes your company, as part of our nation’s critical infrastructure. Encourage and recognize them for continuing to work.
- Provide your workforce with “certification” that they are employed by your company and as such, should be exempt from local restrictions such as curfews, shelter-in-place orders, and other mobility restrictions when reporting to/from work, or performing work functions. For this purpose, you may use this self-certification template for transportation employees and food and agriculture employees on your company letterhead. The language can be modified to suit your company’s needs.
If there is anything in your supply chain that is left vulnerable to closures, not captured in the DHS guidance, please let us know so we can seek further clarification from DHS.
