KENTUCKY ANNOUNCES NEW PROCESS FOR BUSINESS REOPENINGS

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced a new process to help guide business reopening efforts in the Commonwealth. Under the “Healthy at Work” initiative, industry groups, trade associations, and individuals businesses “that are closed due to COVID-19” may submit reopening proposals and strategies to the Office of the Governor and the Department for Public Health. Businesses and associations, however, are NOT required to submit proposals to reopen. Instead, proposals are intended to aid the Governor and Department for Public Health in making decisions on when and how to reopen different sectors of the economy.

Healthy at Work is a phased-in approach to reopening. In the first phase, the Kentucky Department of Public Health will evaluate whether Kentucky has met public health benchmarks based on guidelines provided by the White House. In the second phase, the Department for Public Health will evaluate the ability of different industries and sectors to safely reopen, using input provided through online questionnaires. Reminder: no business, association, or trade group is required to submit a proposal. Once determined that it can be done safely, businesses will be reopened regardless of if they submitted a proposal, provided that they implement all the necessary health and safety measures recommended.

Read more about Healthy at Work here.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: CAN I BEGIN REOPENING MY BUSINESS TODAY IF IT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLOSED?

A: Unfortunately, not at this time. The current pandemic still represents an ongoing health emergency – the Commonwealth must meet the benchmarks put forward by the Governor before it will be safe to begin reopening those businesses that are closed. However, to ensure that businesses will be able to start up as soon as it is safe, Healthy at Work is beginning to evaluate at what points businesses could safely reopen once those benchmarks are met.

Q: DO I HAVE TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO THIS WEBSITE IN ORDER TO REOPEN?

A: No. You are not required to submit a proposal. The Governor will be making decisions on which sectors to reopen regardless of whether or not a business or business association submits a proposal. However, he encourages the input of all our businesses and business associations through this website and will rely on the proposals and information they provide in making his decisions.

Q: MY BUSINESS WAS NEVER CLOSED BECAUSE IT WAS DEEMED LIFE-SUSTAINING – DO I HAVE TO RESUBMIT A PROPOSAL?

A: No. You are not required to submit a proposal, including those who remain operating during the pandemic. However, be aware your business may need to adopt additional health and safety measures once the benchmarks are met and it is safe to begin reopening sectors of the economy.

Q: I AM A MEMBER OF A BUSINESS OR TRADE ASSOCIATION AND MY ASSOCIATION IS SUBMITTING A REOPEN PROPOSAL ON MY BEHALF – SHOULD I ALSO SUBMIT MY OWN INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS REOPEN PROPOSAL?

A: No. If your business or trade association is already submitting a reopen proposal for your kind of business, you should provide all input to that association as they craft their proposal.

Q: DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ABOUT WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR MY KIND OF BUSINESS?

A: We anticipate that all businesses will need to have models that permit compliance with CDC guidelines on how best to stop the spread of COVID-19. This will include ensuring proper social distancing and access to personal protective equipment and disinfectant. However, more industry-specific guidance will be crafted as Kentucky gets closer to reaching the benchmarks and as input comes in from businesses via their proposals.

Q: IF THE BUSINESS I WORK FOR REOPENS, HOW WILL YOU MAKE SURE IT IS SAFE?

A: When it is safe to begin reopening closed businesses, each industry sector will have a list of requirements that they must meet in order to safely reopen. If a business fails to comply with those requirements, it will not be able to reopen. Any violations of those requirements can be reported to the KYSAFER hotline at 833-KYSAFER or kysafer.ky.gov.