As Florida enters Full Phase 1 of its plan to reopen after the spread of COVID-19, communities across the Tampa Bay area will be responsible for monitoring the health of residents in their community and ensuring they meet these new guidelines. As the health and safety requirements in all communities across the nation can potentially change on a daily basis, it’s critical that property owners and HOA board members continue to follow the recent developments in their area.
As part of the Full Phase 1 plan, many nonessential businesses can reopen to limited capacity. This includes wellness and fitness centers, barbershops, and restaurants. In this brief article, a St. Petersburg condo management company will give a few recommendations on how to reopen certain facilities on your property. Remember, for administrative support and property management services, partner with Wise Property Management.
Utilizing the Right Resources
Before we delve into developing a mitigation strategy for your community, we will first say that each community is unique and proper community mitigation activities largely depend on the spread of the virus in your community and the population within your community, among other factors. In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to a community mitigation strategy, so HOA’s and executive boards need to tailor a strategy that works for their community. That being said, communities are responsible for complying with the local guidelines in their area. Communities should also monitor the latest advice by reputable public health organizations.
Related: Coronavirus: Important Considerations for Condominiums
Primary Mitigation Strategies
Communities like condominiums and apartment complexes should not lose sight of the core three mitigation strategies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this includes:
- Personal Protective Measures: From handwashing to personal hygiene etiquette, continue to remind residents of these cleanliness initiatives. It’s best to require residents to wear protective masks in common areas. Sanitation stations should also be added to areas that see frequent traffic. Update your website to actively communicate the health standards required in the community and provide updates when these regulations change.
- Social Distancing: As fitness centers and common areas reopen in communities, residents will need to maintain social distancing requirements of six feet apart. As a rule of thumb, communities should only reopen these areas at 20 percent capacity for the time being.
- Surface Cleaning: Although information on the spread of the virus through surface areas has been inconsistent, communities should continue to thoroughly sanitize all common areas in their community.
Creating a Community Emergency Plan
Along with promoting these everyday preventative practices, communities will need to consider what aspects of their community could be impacted by the spread of the virus and select the appropriate actions to take based on this assessment. As part of this plan, communities need to identify ways they can keep older adults and individuals with chronic health conditions safe. Along with these mitigation strategies, communities may need to activate community emergency plans. These plans can be scaled up or down depending on the guidance of local and state health officials.
Fom ensuring your community is safe for your residents to establishing parameters that help protect your community, community board members have a lot on their plate as we reopen the majority of nonessential businesses across the state. For property management assistance, consult one of the best St. Petersburg condo management companies at Wise Property Management.
For more information on St. Petersburg condo management services, submit our contact request form.
Disclaimer: This website is not a substitute for legal advice. If you have a serious legal, tax, or other issue requiring professional advice, please consult with an attorney or CPA.