COVID-19 Protocols

Revised June 19, 2020

COVID-19 Guidance for Farmers’ and Fresh Food Markets

The following recommendations are intended to help organizers, staff and vendors participating in farmers’ and fresh food markets reduce the spread of COVID-19. These markets primarily sell fresh fruits, vegetables and food that do not require onsite food preparation. More information about COVID-19 can be found in the Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Fact Sheet.

Recommendations for market organizers to reduce the spread of COVID-19: Screen market staff and vendors

 It is strongly recommended that market organizers have market staff and vendors complete a health- screening questionnaire before each work shift and prior to participating in the market.
o Questions can be completed on a paper-based questionnaire, asked directly to employees with

answers recorded, or be completed electronically.

Implement attendance policies for farmer’s market staff and vendors

•   Maintain a list of the names and contact information of market staff, vendors, and their employees that attend the market.

•   Ensure sick staff/vendors do not attend the famers’ market.

•   Remind staff/vendors about the importance of reporting illness to their supervisor/manager.

o If a staff/vendor becomes sick with COVID-19 symptoms while attending the market, they should go home immediately and self-isolate.

o Staff/vendors experiencing symptoms can call Telehealth, their health care provider or an assessment centre for testing.

•   Staff/vendors who have travelled anywhere outside of Canada must stay home and self-isolate for 14 days after returning to Canada.

•   Establish criteria for staff/vendors to return to work:

o In general, if a staff/vendor had COVID-19 they are able to resume working/attending the farmers’

market 14 days after their symptoms began.
o For other illnesses, or if the individual received a negative COVID-19 test, they should not attend

the farmers’ market until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours. o Clearance tests are not required for return to work.

Implement measures to maintain physical distancing

Physical distancing refers to the practice of avoiding close contact by keeping a distance of two metres (sixfeet) from others. Plan and modify the layout of the farmers’ market to ensure enough space is provided for customers, vendors and market staff to maintain physical distancing. Strategies to ensure physical distancing among customers and staff can include:

 Designate a single entry and exit point to control the number of customers entering the market.
o Post signage at the entrance welcoming customers and indicating the conditions for entry. See the

Farmers’ Market Ontario’s COVID-Fact/Info Sheet as an example.

Revised June 19, 2020

•   Close all other access points to the market:
  o Use existing barriers/structures. For example, position the market near an existing building so that

  the walls of the building enclose the market perimeter. If this is not possible, install barriers, fencing

  or other equipment to enclose the market perimeter.

•   Monitor and manage customer lines:

o Place visual markers/cues spaced two metres/six feet apart (e.g. tape on the floor, pylons, signs) to encourage physical distancing and guide customers waiting in line.

o Assign staff to monitor the line and to make public announcements reminding customers to keep two metres/six feet apart.

 Limit the number of customers permitted into the market at any given time: o Position staff at the entrance to control customer entry.
o Monitor the number of people entering and leaving the market
o Stagger/delay customer entry into the market.

o If the maximum number of customers is reached, allow one person in for every person that leaves. o To calculate the maximum number of people that should be permitted in the market at any one time,

apply the one person per four square metres of public/retail floor space rule.  Encourage physical distancing between customers attending the market:

o Design a shopping flow that encourages one-way movement with prominent signage and/or floor markings.

o Do not provide communal tables or seating in the market.

•   Arrange and modify vendors booths to maintain physical distancing and reduce contact:

  o Increase spacing between vendors booths (e.g. keep an empty area between each booth).

•   Support vendors that are providing online and/or telephone ordering services:

  o Establish and clearly identify pick-up points for advance orders (e.g. drive-thru/pedestrian pick-up)

•   Stagger load in and load out times, and designate locations for vendor areas prior to market opening.

  Support hand hygiene

•   Provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer stations for customer use (e.g. wall mounted/upright sanitizer stations). Use sanitizers with 70-90% alcohol concentration.

•   Designate washroom facilities for market staff and vendors/employee use only.

•   Monitor and refill hand hygiene supplies such as hand sanitizer, soap and paper towels in public areas

  and washroom facilities.

  Increase communication with customers and vendors

•   Communicate COVID-19 preparations and market expectations with all vendors prior to attending the market.

•   Provide information to customers about market operations (e.g. public health measures, advance order options, curbside pickup) through different communication platforms (e.g. market webpage, email social media accounts).

•   Post signs at the entrance instructing customers and staff not to visit the farmers’ market if they are sick.

•   Post educational materials to encourage healthy behaviours that reduce the spread of COVID-19: o Physical Distancing

o Protect Yourself
o Information about COVID-19 o Wash your Hands
o Cover your Cough
o Posters for Entrances

Enhance environmental cleaning and disinfection

Revised June 19, 2020

•   Assign dedicated market staff to complete environmental cleaning and disinfection duties.

•   Ensure frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces and objects in public areas (e.g.

  handrails, doorknobs, tabletops) at least twice a day and when visibly dirty.
  o Review Public Health Ontario’s Cleaning and Disinfection for Public Settings fact sheet.
  o Refer to Health Canada’s list of hard surface disinfectants for use against coronavirus (COVID-19).

•   Educate market staff on how to use cleaning agents and disinfectants, and ensure:

o Required disinfectant contact times are followed (i.e. amount of time that the product will need to

remain wet on a surface to achieve disinfection).
o Use of safety precautions and required personal protective equipment (PPE).
o Directions for where and how to securely store cleaning and disinfectant supplies.

•   Maintain cleanliness of staff/vendor washrooms and other areas as necessary.

•   Provide waste receptacles lined with a plastic bag, and empty as often as necessary.

  Recommendations for Vendors to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 Conduct screening of employees prior to attending the market

 It is strongly recommended that vendors ask their employees to complete a health-screening questionnaire before attending the market.
o Questions can be completed on a paper-based questionnaire, asked directly to employees with

answers recorded, or be completed electronically.

Implement attendance policies for employees

•   Ensure sick employees do not attend the famers’ market.

•   Remind employees about the importance of reporting illness to their supervisor/manager.

o If an employee becomes sick with COVID-19 symptoms while attending the market, they should go home immediately and self-isolate.

o Employees experiencing symptoms can call Telehealth, their health care provider or an assessment centre for testing.

•   Employees who have travelled anywhere outside of Canada must stay home and self-isolate for 14 days after returning to Canada.

•   Establish criteria for employees to return to work:

o In general, if an employee had COVID-19, they are able to resume working/attending the market 14

days after their symptoms began.
o For other illnesses, or if the individual received a negative COVID-19 test, they should not attend

the market until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours. o Clearance tests are not required for return to work.

Implement measures to maintain physical distancing

•   Limit the number of employees working within the booth at any one time:
  o Employees should maintain physical distancing from each other and customers, where possible. o Assign each employee a specific workstation and task to reduce overlap.

•   Offer an online and/or telephone ordering service that allow customers to order items in advance.

•   Equip physical barriers at the point of sale (e.g. plexiglass).

•   Encourage electronic payment by debit or credit card, and to tap instead of using the PIN pad, and assign one

  employee to process all transactions.

•   Place visual markers/cues (e.g. pylons, signs) two metres/six feet apart to direct line-ups at vendor’s

  booths.

•   Leave the customers purchases on the counter or set-up a side table for the customer to pick it up

  while maintaining a two metre/six foot distance from employees.

•   Remind customers not to congregate near the booth once they have completed their purchase.

•   Post physical distancing signs in highly visible areas.

  Encourage and practice proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette

 Educate employees on proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette:
o Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (70-90% alcohol

concentration), provided hands are not visibly soiled.
o Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue. Immediately throw the tissue in the

garbage and wash your hands.

•   Provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer in dispensers within the booth for employee use. Monitor and refill

  as needed.

•   Remind employees to avoid touching their face, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

•   Post Cover your Cough and Wash your Hands signage in visible locations within the booth.

  Practice proper glove use

•   Glove use is not mandatory and gloves are not a substitute for proper hand hygiene.

•   If vendors/employees use gloves they should be changed every hour, or more often as necessary.

•   Hands should be washed with soap and water for 15 seconds before putting on and after taking off

  gloves.

•   Change gloves when changing tasks, after touching your face, or coming in contact with an item that

  may have germs.

•   When gloves are removed, new gloves must be used each time.

  Implement measures to protect food from contamination

•   Practice proper hand hygiene often.

•   Prepackage foods offered for sale to reduce handling and direct contact.

•   Keep food out of the customer’s reach to discourage handling.

•   Do not provide samples.

•   Do not handle reusable containers/bags supplied by the customer.

•   Suspend accepting product returns.

Revised June 19, 2020

Revised June 19, 2020  Encourage customers to take their purchased foods home and wash thoroughly before eating.

Practice proper use of cloth and non-medical face masks

•   Non-medical/cloth masks are strongly recommended when physical distancing cannot be maintained.

•   Train staff/vendors on the proper use of masks, and how to safely put on and take off a mask.

•   Masks do not replace the need for physical distancing, hand washing, and staying home when sick.

  Enhance environmental cleaning and disinfection protocols

•   Ensure frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces and objects within the booth (e.g. tabletops, stands, mobile payment terminals) at least twice a day and when visibly dirty.

•   Ensure frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces in the delivery vehicle (e.g. steering wheel, door handles, controls, knobs/dials) at the beginning and end of the day/shift.
  o Review Public Health Ontario’s Cleaning and Disinfection for Public Settings fact sheet.
  o Refer to Health Canada’s list of hard surface disinfectants for use against coronavirus (COVID-19).

•   Educate market staff on how to use cleaning agents and disinfectants to ensure:

o Required disinfectant contact times are followed (i.e. amount of time that the product will need to

remain wet on a surface to achieve disinfection).
o Use of safety precautions and required personal protective equipment (PPE).
o Directions for where and how to securely store cleaning and disinfectant supplies.

 Ensure waste receptacles are available within the booth. More information

For more information, visit our website at www.toronto.ca/COVID19 or call us at 416-338-7600. References

BC Centre for Disease Control (2020). Farmer’s Markets. Retrieved from http://www.bccdc.ca/health- info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/community-settings/farmers-markets

BC Centre for Disease Control (2020). COVID-19 Guidance for Retail Food and Grocery Stores. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial- health-officer/covid-19/guidance_to_grocery_stores_april_25_final.pdf

Centres for Disease Control (2020). Disinfecting Your Non-Emergency Vehicle. Retrieved fromhttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/disinfecting-transport-vehicles.html

Farmers’ Markets Ontario (2020). Public Safety Protocols for Ontario’s Farmers’ Markets. Retrieved fromhttps://www.farmersmarketsontario.com/covid-19-modifying-market-operations/

Government of Alberta (2020). COVID-19 Information: Guidance for Farmers’ Markets and Public Markets.Retrieved from https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/covid-19-relaunch-guidance-farmers-markets- and-public-markets.pdf.

Revised June 19, 2020 Government of Ontario (2020). Frequently asked questions about essential businesses. Retrieved from

https://www.ontario.ca/page/frequently-asked-questions-about-essential-businesses

Toronto Public Health (2020). COVID-19 Guidance for Food Stores. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/90fd-COVID-19-Fact-Sheet-Food-Stores.pdf