COVID-19, Returning to the Workplace – Maine
Below are key training items from the COVID-19 Prevention Checklist for Maine Employees
As of May 24th, 2021 all State of Maine COVID-19 checklists have been retired. For more information please refer to general guidance recommendations.
General Guidance
COVID-19 Prevention Checklist: Industry Guidance
Last updated: May 21, 2021
The State of Maine has adopted a multi-layered approach to COVID-19 guidance—supported by science, public health expertise, and industry collaboration—to help Maine businesses and community organizations operate safely. As we enter the final stage of the pandemic, these updated guidelines highlight the importance of employing multi-layered mitigation strategies to keep Maine businesses, employees, and residents as safe as possible from COVID-19 transmission. Public health guidance will continue to evolve as we learn which mitigation strategies most effectively reduce transmission risk.
No single measure or action will completely prevent transmission of COVID-19. Use of multiple strategies—sometimes called layered mitigation—provides greater protection than implementing a single strategy alone. When multiple mitigation strategies—including masking, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and ventilation—are consistently and correctly used, risk of transmission is decreased.
Certain business sectors and activities may have additional guidance specific to those settings. Maine is deferring to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for such sectors and activities, which is available at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html. Additional Federal requirements for sectors such as public transportation and health care may apply.
For the latest information on travel policies and Executive Orders related to COVID-19 visit the Office of the Governor’s COVID-19 Response website: https://www.maine.gov/covid19.
COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies
Masks
- Recommend individuals in your establishment who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 wear a mask, per U.S. CDC recommendations and any relevant Federal requirements. Patrons and staff who are not fully vaccinated should:
- Wear a mask correctly and consistently for the best protection. Information about proper use of masks is available from the U.S. CDC (see: Considerations for Wearing Masks).
- Change your mask if it becomes wet or soiled.
- During unmasked activities such as communal eating and drinking additional mitigation strategies should be used, such as physical distancing and increased ventilation.
- Masks are recommended for individuals who are not fully vaccinated outdoors when 6 feet of physical distance is difficult to maintain.
- The degree to which face shields and other personal protective equipment are recommended is based on proximity and duration of contact. Please see industry specific guidance from the US CDC for additional information.
Hand Hygiene
- Good hand hygiene prevents spread of disease. The best hand hygiene is frequent handwashing. Remind employees to wash hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) especially between contact with customers and customer items.
- Provide access to hand washing areas for staff, vendors, and customers.
- Provide hand sanitizer in multiple locations around work and public spaces.
Ventilation
- Check that ventilation systems operate properly and take steps to improve ventilation in the building.
- Increase the percentage of outdoor air (e.g., using economizer modes of HVAC operations) potentially as high as 100% (first verify compatibility with HVAC system capabilities for both temperature and humidity control as well as compatibility with outdoor/indoor air quality considerations).
- Increase total airflow supply to occupied spaces, if possible.
- Disable demand-control ventilation (DCV) controls that reduce air supply based on temperature or occupancy.
- Use natural ventilation (i.e., opening windows if possible and safe to do so) to increase outdoor air dilution of indoor air when environmental conditions and building requirements allow.
- Consider relocating operations to outdoor spaces or other nontraditional venues that allow for increased airflow, if possible.
Signage
- It is recommended that establishments place signage at entrances and throughout buildings (particularly high-traffic areas such as service counters) alerting staff and visitors to mask policies and symptoms of COVID-19. The U.S. CDC has developed printable posters on these topics (see: Print Resources).
- It is recommended that establishments remind individuals that they should not visit the establishment if they are ill (e.g. have a fever or cough). Signage reminding individuals of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 is recommended.
- Inform individuals of your COVID-19 policies and procedures in advance, if possible, via website, newsletters, social media channels, newspaper, ticket purchasing site, etc.
Contact Tracing
- Contact tracing is a fundamental public health activity that involves working with an individual who has been diagnosed with an infectious disease to identify and provide support to people who may have been infected through exposure to the infected person. To facilitate contact tracing by the Maine CDC, certain establishments should consider maintaining a record of information about visitors, including one customer’s name and contact information per party, the date they were in the establishment, and the staff who had direct, prolonged interaction with them.
- Based on current scientific knowledge, a close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more starting from 48 hours before illness onset until the time the patient is isolated. An individual is also considered a close contact if they provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19, had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them), shared eating or drinking utensils, or if the person sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on them.
Cleaning and Disinfection
- Hand hygiene is perhaps the most important aspect of cleaning and disinfection. Ensure adequate supplies (e.g., soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer, tissue) to support healthy hygiene practices and cleaning and disinfection procedures.
- Focus cleaning and disinfection efforts on routine cleaning of frequently touched objects (e.g., doorknobs, light switches, countertops, tables, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.)
- Any items rented by patrons should be cleaned and disinfected between uses. Staff who handle customer items should clean hands after contact with items.
- Review US CDC cleaning and disinfecting guidance (see: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility: Everyday Steps, Steps When Someone is Sick, and Considerations for Employers).
Screening
- Workers should stay at home if they are sick. Supervisors should ask all workers to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms using either of the following approaches:
- Use an electronic or app-based self-screening form, such as the Coronavirus Self-Checker available on the US CDC’s website (see: Coronavirus Self-Checker).
- Self-screen using the following questions:
- Do you feel ill or have you been caring for someone who is ill?
- In the past two weeks, have you been exposed to anyone who tested positive for COVID-19?
Staff
- Based on currently available information and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. For the most up to date information on this topic, see U.S. CDC guidance on conditions that place individuals at increased risk of severe illness (see: People with Certain Medical Conditions).
- Provide employees training on:
- monitoring personal health
- proper wear, removal, and disposal of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) if applicable
- laundering of cloth masks and uniforms: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility, How to Disinfect: Laundry (CDC)
- cleaning protocols, including how to safely and effectively use cleaning supplies: Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes (CDC)
- Consider employee training in safe de-escalation techniques.
Shared Transportation
- Riding in vehicles with individuals from outside of your household presents a risk of COVID-19 transmission because of the inability to maintain physical distance and potentially poor ventilation in the vehicle.
- If riding in separate vehicles is not possible, limit the number of individuals in the vehicle and the distance as much as possible.
- All occupants of the vehicle should wear a mask for the duration of the ride. This is required by the U.S. CDC for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, in public transportation.
- Everyone in the vehicle should wash or sanitize their hands before entering and as soon as possible after exiting the vehicle.
- Maximize ventilation in the vehicle cabin to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
- Fully opening all vehicle windows is the most efficient way to increase ventilation in the vehicle cabin.
- If fully opening all vehicle windows is not possible, open all windows halfway or fully open two of the windows in the vehicle.
- In the event of extreme weather, when opening windows is not possible, use the vehicle’s vents to bring in fresh outside air—avoid using the recirculated air option for the vehicle’s ventilation during transport.
- If vehicles are used by multiple individuals who are not part of the same household, clean and disinfect the steering wheel, seatbelts, consoles, and other frequent touchpoints as part of an end-of-shift or pre-trip routine.
In Case of Illness
- Know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Know what to do if staff become symptomatic at the workplace.
- Encourage employees to stay home and notify workplace administrators when sick (workplaces should provide non-punitive sick leave options to allow staff to stay home when ill).
- Review, update, or develop workplace plans to include leave policies for people with COVID-19 symptoms.
- When an employee feels ill:
- Instruct employees to not come to work with symptoms of COVID-like illness.
- Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
- People with these symptoms or combinations of symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Or at least two of these symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
- When an employee or member of the public becomes ill in your establishment:
- Have a plan for a room or space where the individual can be isolated until transferred to home or health care facility and provided a mask, if available and tolerated.
- Encourage the individual to call their health care provider and get tested for COVID-19, if appropriate.
- Is the individual needs urgent medical attention (e.g., if individual is having difficulty breathing), call 911.
- Employers may need to work with public health officials to determine which employees may have had close contact with the employee with COVID-19 and who may need to take additional precautions, including exclusion from work and remaining at home. If an employee makes an employer aware that they tested positive for COVID-19, the employer may call the Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821.
- For return to work guidance, refer to the current CDC guidance for returning to work (see: Returning to Work).
- Call 2-1-1 if you have further questions about COVID-19.
Monitoring personal health
Monitor Your Health Daily
People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
*This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.
- Take your temperature if symptoms develop.
- Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.
- Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.
Importance of not coming to work if ill
If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, follow the steps below to care for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community.
- Stay home except to get medical care
- Stay home. Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care. Do not leave your home, except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.
- Take care of yourself. Get rest and stay hydrated. Take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better.
- Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, or if you think it is an emergency.
- Avoid public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
When to seek emergency medical attention:
- Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
*This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.
Proper wear, REmoval and disposal of Personal protective equipment (if applicable):
Things that are PPE;
- Gloves: various gloves protect against varying hazards, most commonly, medical grade Nitryl or latex gloves are used to protect against pathogenic hazards
- Body Protection; Most often varying forms of protective suits are worn to protect from pathogenic hazards. In the case of facilities with direct contact of known or suspected COVID-19 infectious subjects, Tyvek, full body suits can be worn. However! To be impervious to the maximum of the design, all seems should be sealed
- Eye/face protection; Eye protection should also be worn for those involved in the direct contact of known or suspected COVID-19 infectious subjects. Eye protection should provide side protection at the least. Face shield make excellent protection, especially when used in conjunction with eye protection.

Hand Hygiene
Wash your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- It’s especially important to wash:
- Before eating or preparing food
- Before touching your face
- After using the restroom
- After leaving a public place
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After handling your mask
- After changing a diaper
- After caring for someone sick
- After touching animals or pets
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
LAUNDERing of cloth masks and uniforms
Washing/Drying instructions for Masks
Masks are an additional step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 when combined with every day preventive actions and social distancing in public settings.
Masks should be washed after each use. It is important to always remove masks correctly and wash your hands after handling or touching a used mask.
How to clean
Washing machine
- You can include your mask with your regular laundry.
- Use regular laundry detergent and the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth used to make the mask.
Washing by hand
- Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) household bleach per gallon of room temperature water or
- 4 teaspoons household bleach per quart of room temperature water
- Check the label to see if your bleach is intended for disinfection. Some bleach products, such as those designed for safe use on colored clothing, may not be suitable for disinfection. Ensure the bleach product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.
- Soak the mask in the bleach solution for 5 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly with cool or room temperature water.
Make sure to completely dry mask after washing.
How to dry
Dryer
- Use the highest heat setting and leave in the dryer until completely dry.
Air dry
- Lay flat and allow to completely dry. If possible, place the mask in direct sunlight.
Washing/Drying instructions for a uniform
- Wash the uniform/scrub apparel separately from any family textile products.
- Use appropriate detergents and bleach based on the apparel manufacturer’s label instructions. Both chlorine-based bleach and oxygen-based bleach products can be effective in the wash process for inactivating viruses.
- Wash on the hottest water temperature setting recommended by the garment manufacturer and avoid short/rapid cycles.
- After closing the washer, clean and disinfect according to directions of your chosen EPA-certified disinfectant product. Wipe down the machine door, handles, and buttons, as well as doorknobs and other surface areas you may have touched in the laundry room during the process. If the bag used to bring the apparel items home is disposable, discard the bag. If the bag is not disposable, wipe the bag handle/straps and interior with an appropriate detergent-disinfectant.
- Immediately wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- After the wash cycle is completed, remove the garments from the washer and place immediately into the dryer. Dry the load completely on the warmest cycle recommended by the garment manufacturer.
cleaning protocols
Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Sanitizing
Clean
- Wear disposable gloves to clean and disinfect.
- Clean surfaces using soap and water, then use disinfectant.
- Cleaning with soap and water reduces number of germs, dirt and impurities on the surface. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces.
- Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.
- More frequent cleaning and disinfection may be required based on level of use.
- Surfaces and objects in public places, such as shopping carts and point of sale keypads should be cleaned and disinfected before each use.
- High touch surfaces include:
- Tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.
Disinfect
-
- Disinfect with a household disinfectant on List N: Disinfectants for use against SARs-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID 19.
- Follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product.
Many products recommend:
- Keeping surface wet for a period of time (see product label).
- Precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
- Always read and follow the directions on the label to ensure safe and effective use.
- Wear skin protection and consider eye protection for potential splash hazards
- Ensure adequate ventilation
- Use no more than the amount recommended on the label
- Use water at room temperature for dilution (unless stated otherwise on the label)
- Avoid mixing chemical products
- Label diluted cleaning solutions
- Store and use chemicals out of the reach of children and pets
You should never eat, drink, breathe or inject these products into your body or apply directly to your skin as they can cause serious harm. Do not wipe or bathe pets with these products or any other products that are not approved for animal use.
See EPA’s 6 steps for Safe and Effective Disinfectant Use
Special considerations should be made for people with asthma and they should not be present when cleaning and disinfecting is happening as this can trigger asthma exacerbations. Learn more about reducing asthma triggers.
- If products on List N are not available, diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
- Use bleach containing 5.25%–8.25% sodium hypochlorite. Do not use a bleach product if the percentage is not in this range or is not specified.
- Follow the manufacturer’s application instructions for the surface, ensuring a contact time of at least 1 minute.
- Ensure proper ventilation during and after application.
- Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date.
- Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. This can cause fumes that may be very dangerous to breathe in.
- Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) of 5.25%–8.25% bleach per gallon of room temperature water OR
- 4 teaspoons of 5.25%–8.25% bleach per quart of room temperature water
- Bleach solutions will be effective for disinfection up to 24 hours.
- Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol may also be used.
Soft surfaces:
- For soft surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes
- Clean the surface using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on these surfaces.
- Launder items (if possible) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
OR
Electronics: For electronics, such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines
- Consider putting a wipeable cover on electronics.
- Follow manufacturer’s instruction for cleaning and disinfecting. If no guidance, use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol. Dry surface thoroughly.
Laundry
For clothing, towels, linens and other items
- Launder items according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
- Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from a person who is sick.
- Dirty laundry from a person who is sick can be washed with other people’s items.
- Do not shake dirty laundry.
- Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to guidance above for surfaces.
- Remove gloves, and wash hands right away.
Cleaning and disinfecting your building or facility if someone is sick
- Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
- Companies do not necessarily need to close operations, if they can close off affected areas.
- Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.
- Wait 24 hours before you clean or disinfect. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
- Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines.
- Vacuum the space if needed. Use a vacuum equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, if available.
- Do not vacuum a room or space that has people in it. Wait until the room or space is empty to vacuum, such as at night, for common spaces, or during the day for private rooms.
- Wear disposable gloves to clean and disinfect. For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floors or rugs, clean the surface with detergents or cleaners appropriate for use on these surfaces, according to the textile’s label. After cleaning, disinfect with an appropriate EPA-registered disinfectant on List N: Disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2external icon. Soft and porous materials, like carpet, are generally not as easy to disinfect as hard and non-porous surfaces. EPA has listed a limited number of products approved for disinfection for use on soft and porous materials on List N. Follow the disinfectant manufacturer’s safety instructions (such as wearing gloves and ensuring adequate ventilation), concentration level, application method and contact time. Allow sufficient drying time if vacuum is not intended for wet surfaces.
- Temporarily turn off in-room, window-mounted, or on-wall recirculation HVAC to avoid contamination of the HVAC units.
- Do NOT deactivate central HVAC systems. These systems tend to provide better filtration capabilities and introduce outdoor air into the areas that they serve.
- Consider temporarily turning off room fans and the central HVAC system that services the room or space, so that particles that escape from vacuuming will not circulate throughout the facility.
- Once area has been appropriately disinfected, it can be opened for use.
- Workers without close contact with the person who is sick can return to work immediately after disinfection.
- If more than 7 days since the person who is sick visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary.
- Continue routing cleaning and disinfection. This includes everyday practices that businesses and communities normally use to maintain a healthy environment.
Cleaning and disinfecting outdoor areas
- Outdoor areas, like playgrounds in schools and parksgenerally require normal routine cleaning, but do not require disinfection.
- Do not spray disinfectant on outdoor playgrounds- it is not an efficient use of supplies and is not proven to reduce risk of COVID-19 to the public.
- High touch surfaces made of plastic or metal, such as grab bars and railings should be cleaned routinely.
- Cleaning and disinfection of wooden surfaces (play structures, benches, tables) or groundcovers (mulch, sand) is not recommended.
- Sidewalks and roads should not be disinfected.
- Spread of COVID-19 from these surfaces is very low and disinfection is not effective.
When cleaning
- Regular cleaning staff can clean and disinfect community spaces.
- Ensure they are trained on appropriate use of cleaning and disinfection chemicals.
- Wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash.
- Additional personal protective equipment (PPE) might be required based on the cleaning/disinfectant products being used and whether there is a risk of splash.
- Gloves and gowns should be removed carefully to avoid contamination of the wearer and the surrounding area.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
- Always wash immediately after removing gloves and after contact with a person who is sick.
-
- Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol may be used. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.
Always read and follow the directions on the label to ensure safe and effective use.
- Keep hand sanitizers away from fire or flame
- For children under six years of age, hand sanitizer should be used with adult supervision
- Always store hand sanitizer out of reach of children and pets
See CDC’s Hand Sanitizer Use Considerations for more information
- Additional key times to wash hands include:
- After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- After using the restroom.
- Before eating or preparing food.
- After contact with animals or pets.
- Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance (e.g., a child).
Alternative disinfection methods
- The efficacy of alternative disinfection methods, such as ultrasonic waves, high intensity UV radiation, and LED blue light against COVID-19 virus is not known.
- EPA does not routinely review the safety or efficacy of pesticidal devices, such as UV lights, LED lights, or ultrasonic devices. Therefore, EPA cannot confirm whether, or under what circumstances, such products might be effective against the spread of COVID-19.
- CDC does not recommend the use of sanitizing tunnels. There is no evidence that they are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Chemicals used in sanitizing tunnels could cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation or damage.
- CDC only recommends use of the surface disinfectants identified on List N against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Additional considerations for employers
- Educate workers performing cleaning, laundry, and trash pick-up to recognize the symptoms of COVID-19.
- Provide instructions on what to do if they develop symptoms within 14 days after their last possible exposure to the virus.
- Develop policies for worker protection and provide training to all cleaning staff on site prior to providing cleaning tasks.
- Training should include when to use PPE, what PPE is necessary, how to properly don (put on), use, and doff (take off) PPE, and how to properly dispose of PPE.
- Ensure workers are trained on the hazards of the cleaning chemicals used in the workplace in accordance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).
- Comply with OSHA’s standards on Bloodborne Pathogens (29 CFR 1910.1030), including proper disposal of regulated waste, and PPE (29 CFR 1910.132)
resources
https://www.maine.gov/decd/general-guidance
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/coronavirus-self-checker.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/print-resources.html?Sort=Date%3A%3Adesc