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The Concordia Parish Chamber of Commerce on Monday sent an email to members urging them to adopt Shop Smart guidelines for reopening.

“Concordia Parish Chamber of Commerce along with Concordia Economic Development and  Natchez Inc. Economic Recovery Taskforce,” the email states, “is hoping to encourage business owners to develop a reopening strategy, if they haven’t done so already. This initiative will help create new business practices for the health and well-being of their employees and customers.”

The email states that reopening requirements are changing quickly.

“Therefore, we are asking businesses to take these steps and to include any local, state or industry specific requirements to your new business practices,” the email states. “If your business qualifies as a Shop Smart location, we will include your business in our regional advertising campaign to ‘Put Your Money Where Your Home Is.’ This initiative will let customers know that your business is practicing the best health and safety measures at your locations therefore, encouraging consumers to do business with you.”

Shop Smart certification steps:

Benchmarks business owners must reach and sign off on to become certified Shop Smart locations include:

• Requires employees and customers to wear protective masks inside the building and while interacting.
• Provides proper PPE for its employees and enforces coughing and sneezing etiquette.
• Requires employees to wash hands/use hand sanitizer between each customer interaction and multiple times throughout shifts.
• Provides hand-sanitizing stations at the entry/exit of the building and at high traffic areas of the business.
• Requires employees to clean surfaces between customers and does not allow employees to use another employee’s phone or workstation without conducting proper sanitizing methods.
• Requires employees to stay home if they are sick, if they have an immediate member of their family sick, or if they have been exposed to COVID-19.
• Accommodates employees as needed under these circumstances.
• Business will limit the number of people inside to 50% of the approved occupancy, allowing at least 6 feet between each person inside.
• Business has limited in-person interaction by providing alternatives to employees and customers allowing a work from home option to employees and online or curbside services for customers. (If this option is feasible for a particular business)
• Business has educated and trained all employees on our new business practices and on the health and safety standards provided by the CDC on preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
• Business will comply with all local, state and industry specific guidelines to re-open in a manner to maintain the health and safety of our employees and customers.
• Business has informed customers of our new business practices.

To download a copy of the checklist, which is the first step in Shop Smart designation, visit www.natchezinc.com. Once completed, you may email to director@concordiapchamber.com.