{"id":1341,"date":"2020-04-01T08:36:19","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T15:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bullivant.wpengine.com\/?p=1341"},"modified":"2021-07-22T15:38:44","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T22:38:44","slug":"what-are-essential-businesses-and-workers-for-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/what-are-essential-businesses-and-workers-for-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Essential Businesses and Workers for COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\">[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the federal government, as well as state and local governments like Oregon and Washington, have issued multiple executive orders and emergency notices, most of which refer to &#8220;essential workers.&#8221; Although this reference appears in several places, which businesses and which workers satisfy the term &#8220;essential&#8221; is not clearly defined. The following provides a brief overview of those businesses and workers identified as &#8220;essential&#8221; at the federal and state levels for Oregon and Washington. This information is based upon materials currently available and is subject to change as the Coronavirus and government responses thereto continue to evolve.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Federal Essential Businesses and Workers<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the Essential Services Act of 2013, in addition to listed utility services, the President of the United States is given discretion to deem other industries, businesses, and workers as essential during a major disaster. On March 16, 2020, the President issued <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/03.16.20_coronavirus-guidance_8.5x11_315PM.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coronavirus Guidelines for America<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which identified critical infrastructure industries that were identified through the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security&#8217;s Cybersecurity &amp; Infrastructure Security Agency (&#8220;CISA&#8221;) lists <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/identifying-critical-infrastructure-during-covid-19\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">16 sectors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8220;whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof:&#8221;\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chemical Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commercial Facilities Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communications Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critical Manufacturing Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dams Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defense Industrial Base Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emergency Services Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Energy Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Financial Services Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food and Agriculture Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Government Facilities Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthcare and Public Health Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Information Technology Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transportation Systems Sector<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water and Wastewater Systems Sector\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Presidential guidelines and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/publications\/CISA_Guidance_on_the_Essential_Critical_Infrastructure_Workforce_508C_0.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">subsequent releases<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the Department of Homeland Security serve as recommendations for states and local municipalities to impose their own restrictions and identifications as determined by their needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Oregon Essential Businesses and Workers\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Oregon does not have an express definition of &#8220;essential businesses&#8221; or &#8220;essential workers,&#8221; Governor Brown&#8217;s March 23, 2020 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oregon.gov\/gov\/Documents\/executive_orders\/eo_20-12.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Executive Order 20-12<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides a non-exhaustive list of businesses and workers that are essential and therefore exempt from the Stay Home, Save Lives order while performing essential work:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grocery Services<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Health Care Services<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical Services<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pharmacy Services<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restaurants<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bars<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taverns<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brew Pubs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wine Bars<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cafes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food Carts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coffee Shops<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other similar establishments that offer food and drink\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food service providers are still subject to the prior Executive Order 20-07, which prohibits on-premises consumption of food or drink but allows take-out or delivery service. Additionally, childcare facilities can only remain operating if they do not exceed 10 children and so long as the facilities prioritize the needs of first responders, emergency workers, and health care professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the Executive Order does not list all essential businesses and workers, it does list <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">non<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-essential businesses and workers:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amusement parks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aquariums<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arcades<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Art galleries<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Barber shops and hair salons<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bowling alleys- Cosmetic stores<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dance studios<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Esthetician practices<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fraternal organization facilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furniture stores<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gyms and fitness studios<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hookah bars<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indoor and outdoor malls (except food services)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indoor party places<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jewelry shops and boutiques (unless exclusively through pickup or delivery)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medical spas<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facial spas<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Day spas<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-medical massage therapy services<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Museums<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nail and tanning salons<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-tribal card rooms<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skating rinks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senior activity centers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ski resorts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social and private clubs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tattoo\/piercing parlors<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tennis clubs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Theaters<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yoga studios<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Youth clubs\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Businesses not listed as nonessential may remain operational so long as the parameters of the Governor&#8217;s prior orders, such as maintaining social distancing, are not violated, and only while performing essential work. Additional <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us\/DHSForms\/Served\/le2266.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">guidance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for employers can be found through the Oregon Health Authority&#8217;s COVID-19 webpage, and businesses and individuals interested in receiving direct updates from the Oregon Health Authority may also subscribe to updates via e-mail for free at the same location.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Washington Essential Businesses and Workers<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Washington&#8217;s Governor Jay Inslee issued a similar Stay at Home, Save Lives Order, but the Washington order lists <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.wa.gov\/whats-open-and-closed\/essential-business\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">specific categories of sectors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that are deemed &#8220;essential&#8221; during the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as examples of workers who fall within those sectors:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthcare\/Public Health (including health care providers and workers who support healthcare operations)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emergency Services Sector (including first responders, military, and private security services)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food and Agriculture (including grocery stores, restaurants offering carry-out and delivery, agricultural and food production workers, and other workers who support food and agricultural operations)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Energy (including electrical, petroleum, and natural and propane gas)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water and Wastewater (including operational staff of water and wastewater facilities)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transportation and Logistics (including mass transit workers, freight rail workers, and trucking operations)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communications and Information Technology (including engineers, technicians, and other support personnel for both communications and information technology)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other Community-Based Government Operations and Essential Functions (including critical government workers, security staff, weather forecasters, construction and trade workers like plumbers, electricians, etc. whose services are necessary to maintain services and for emergency repairs, and workers who are critical to facilitating trade)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critical Manufacturing (including workers necessary for manufacturing and production of materials and products needed for the medical supply chains, transportation, energy, communications, and food and agriculture)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hazardous Materials (including workers at nuclear facilities and those who support hazardous materials clean up and management)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Financial Services (including workers necessary to maintain systems for processing financial transactions and services and those necessary to provide consumers with access to banking and lending services)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chemical (including workers supporting the chemical and industrial gas supply chains and workers supporting the operation and maintenance of facilities with high-risk chemicals)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defense Industrial Base (including military and civilian workers supporting national security commitments such as mechanical and software engineering, manufacturing\/production workers, IT support, security staff, and intelligence support)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to Governor Inslee&#8217;s list above, Washington businesses that need clarification or would like to petition to be added to the list can e-mail <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business@mil.wa.gov<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The Governor&#8217;s Order does not require that businesses stop operations if the business can carry on through telework. However, all essential businesses still must always maintain social distancing to the extent possible and are only exempt while performing essential work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which businesses and workers qualify as &#8220;essential&#8221; can vary state to state as well as between government levels, and the status is subject to change as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop. If there are questions as to whether your business or profession is &#8220;essential,&#8221; please contact a Bullivant attorney for assistance.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the federal government, as well as state and local governments like Oregon and Washington, have issued multiple executive orders and emergency notices, most of which refer to &#8220;essential workers.&#8221; Although this reference appears in several places, which businesses and which workers satisfy the term &#8220;essential&#8221; is not clearly defined.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":829,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[198],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-1341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-corporate-law","tag-insights","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1341"},{"taxonomy":"post_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studioactiv8.com\/bullivant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_series?post=1341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}