COVID-19 Response Plan (as of May 19)

We are thrilled to be able to reopen the gallery to the public on May 19, 2020. The following outlines the new protocols.

Staff and Guests: Staff and guests will be treated equally in this plan, except for personal protective equipment for those staff members who are at risk of not being able to social distance six feet away from other guests or each other. The gallery has outlined the following to ensure it is responding to the most recent CDC guidelines:

1. Limited Capacity:

Except for those traveling together, no space in the gallery will be occupied by more people than 50% of the maximum capacity of each room as defined by the Fire Marshall of the City of Fort Myers less the amount of space occupied by furniture, walls, and art on view. The new 50% maximum capacity number will be posted at the entrance of all spaces in the gallery and staff will be positioned at key locations to better inform and guide staff and visitors about these restrictions.

• Public tours and groups of visitors will be limited to those who schedule such visits in advance and will not include more than ten people including tour guides or staff participants.

• Public programs and events will be by registration only and limited to the spaces in which that number of people in the new 50% capacity of maximum capacity numbers can convene.

• We will be recommending reservations by phone or email, we will not offer timed ticketing. We will not turn anyone away at the door for any reason other than having reached full capacity.

• If we have reached full capacity in the gallery, we will queue guests outside of the gallery - in the parking lot.

  2. Physical Distancing:

• Everyone will be advised and encouraged by staff and signage to practice physical distancing by standing at least six feet away from other individuals not traveling with them while moving around the gallery spaces.

• Visual markers and staff will be located near key entrances and in areas of potential concentration such as queue lines, bathrooms, meeting rooms, and offices.

• Those visiting the gallery with others, such as family members, should be encouraged when asked to identify one another to staff as feeling safe to breach social distancing recommendations with one another.

 3. Personal Protective Equipment:

• Facemasks and Face Coverings: The gallery is requiring the wearing of facemasks or face scarves for staff and guests and for those who can self-determine social distancing at a minimum of a six-foot radius from where one stands or walks.  Although a few facemasks will be available in the store for purchase for guests who arrive without their own personal protective wear guests will be asked to bring their own facemasks for the duration of their visits. Washable facemasks are provided to the staff.

• The risk of not being able to social distance six feet or more will require staff to wear facemasks or face coverings, the type of which best protects them according to their job and to the CDC and OSHA recommendations.

• Gloves will be available to all guests should they request such disposable gloves at the front desk. Gloves are required of the LG staff.  Under these circumstances, gloves must be removed and discarded after each transaction and individual usage and replaced with a new set of disposable gloves.

 4. Guest and Employee Health:

• The CDC and the Gallery require those with symptoms of COVID-19 to seek immediate health care. Employees and guests are instructed to stay at home if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or any know symptoms of COVID-19.

• We will advise and/or assist staff or guests who exhibit any signs or symptoms of a medical emergency in seeking medical treatment immediately, calling 911 and/or being admitted into the emergency room. All medical emergencies must be reported to supervisors immediately. The following is a list from the Department of Health and Human Resources that is comprised of warning signs and symptoms indicating a possible medical emergency:

  • Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath;

  • Difficulty speaking;

  • Sudden face drooping;

  • Chest or upper abdominal pressure or pain;

  • Seizure;

  • Confusion and/or Disorientation;

  • Any sudden or severe pain;

  • Uncontrolled bleeding;

  • Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea.

  • Coughing or vomiting.

  • Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness.

• The CDC and the Gallery encourage those that have come into contact with someone recently that tested positive for COVID-19 to stay at home, self-quarantine for 14 days, and wear facemasks when it is necessary to be in public.

• Supervisors will be checking the temperature of all staff upon arrival with a non- contact infrared thermometer gun at the front entrance. If a member of the team registers a temperature of 100 degrees or over, the staff member will be escorted to the lounge, when they will rest for no less than 15 minutes, when their temperature will be taken again. Should they still register a temperature of 100 degrees or more, they will be instructed to contact their health care provider and to return home. Temperatures will not be recorded and all information will be regarded as confidential.

• The front entrance lobby and the break room can only be occupied by a maximum capacity of two.

• The LG staff are trained to call emergency medical teams to the gallery during hours of operation to address the potential health risks of guests and staff.

• All LG staff during the public hours of operations, on every occasion will clean all surfaces touched by guests and staff, including but not limited to furniture in the galley, installations, and offices, as well as ADA-access door panels, and door handles.

• All staff not public-facing but working regularly in “back-of-the-house” and conference rooms are required to wipe down all or any surfaces touched by staff, including but not limited to furniture in the galleries, installations and offices, as well as ADA-access door panels, and door handles.

 5. Safety Protocols:

• All Employees will attend mandatory functional, safety, and guest engagement training.

• No employees will be allowed to discipline guests or other staff on the proper way to clean or to wear, handle, and dispose of masks or cleaning materials and on the way to manage social distancing. All staff is required to monitor their behavior. Any concerns are to be reported to supervisors.

• All work-related travel outside of the Fort Myers area has been temporarily suspended. All non-essential travel is discouraged. Should an employee of the gallery travel, they are required to notify their supervisor in advance and may be advised to self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to work.

• Hand sanitizer dispensers are placed at all identified entrances to spaces and key public contact areas. Hand sanitizers do not replace hand washing and both are encouraged throughout the day regularly and

• A station at the front entrance will carry tissues, gloves, and protective disposable masks guests can use. A small trash bin will be located near the station for depositing of refuse and will be emptied at every shift change.

• Shared tools and equipment will be sanitized by the user before, during, and after each use/shift or anytime the equipment is transferred to or used by a guest or another employee. Equipment and tools include among other items, copy machines, postage meters, printers, phones, computers, and other communication devices and payment terminals, kitchen implements, engineering tools, safety buttons (such as alarms), cleaning equipment, and direct contact items used throughout the gallery. Monitoring one’s behavior is required.

• Shared kitchen facility items such as refrigerators, coffee brewers, and microwaves will be sanitized by the user following each use and it is recommended one sanitize those items before touching. Again, monitoring one’s behavior is required.

• All gallery staff will be notified on how to contact the regional and state Department of Health representatives to report and gather important information.

6. Food and Beverage Guidelines:

• All guidelines set by the Florida and Lee County County Department of Health and Department of Business and Professional Regulation will be followed as well as those guidelines outlined by the Looking Glass Art Gallery.

• All dining tables, chairs, and touchpoints are to be sanitized after each use.

• Food service areas are to be deep cleaned during the day and sanitized at least twice a day.