April 28, 2020 - Associated Industries of Missouri President and CEO Ray McCarty joined Governor Mike Parson for a press conference today regarding the first phase of the Governor's plan to reopen the Missouri Economy.
Associated Industries of Missouri conducted a survey of Missouri employers soliciting ideas for reopening Missouri's economy. More than 145 business operators expressed their thoughts and opinions and we communicated the results to Governor Mike Parson last week.
Of those responding, only 18% had actually closed, but 64% indicated their revenues had significantly declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventy-two percent of those that had closed or significantly reduced operations had done so for 4 weeks or more.
When asked about measures that should be taken as businesses operate and/or reopen, employers expressed their thoughts on the effectiveness of various guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
97% agreed requiring sick employees to stay home and notify supervisors would be effective;
98% supported encouraging frequent hand washing/hand sanitizer use;
98% said frequently cleaning and disinfecting items frequently touched would be effective;
Maintaining social distancing (separation of 6 feet or more where possible, limiting large gatherings) was supported by 94% of respondents;
Regarding taking employees' temperature upon arrival at work, nearly half said that was not practical for their business or they felt it would not be effective for their business. Slightly more than half thought it would be mildly or very effective; and,
Requiring all employees to wear masks would be mildly or very effective for 60% of employers, but 40% thought it would be impractical for their business or not effective;
Many respondents agreed testing would be very beneficial in reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
"These results show the Missouri business community is ready to support a reasonable and balanced approach to reopening Missouri businesses," said Ray McCarty, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Missouri. "We support an approach that protects the general public, our employees, and our customers as we reopen the Missouri economy."
Yesterday, Governor Mike Parson issued an order implementing the first phase of reopening Missouri's economy. Several of the top AIM survey responses were included in the Governor's order and accompanying FAQ's, including sanitizing common and high-traffic areas, modifying workspaces and customer areas to provide for maximum social distancing, monitoring workers for symptoms and preventing sick workers from returning to work until cleared by a medical provider.
"We believe Governor Parson and his team have crafted a responsible first phase plan to reopen the Missouri economy and we support its implementation through the month of May," said McCarty.
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