WASHINGTON–Credit unions reopening their facilities as lockdown orders around the coronavirus pandemic are lifted have had one piece of the burden lifted a bit.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines on how to safely reopen the country, and noted transmission of the coronavirus via surfaces appears to be less of a threat than originally thought.
That’s a bit of a relief to credit unions, which, as CUToday.info has reported in a week-long series, have had to consider changing out certain types of surfaces when reopening buildings.
The 60-page document from the CDC lists out detailed steps, in calculated phases, for how schools, restaurants, and bars can scale up operations based on local transmission. Health officials previously suspected that COVID-19 spread readily via contaminated surfaces — such as doorknobs, cash, and mail.
Now, the CDC says transmission through surfaces is less of a threat, as COVID-19 is primarily spread from person to person via respiratory droplets.
“It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are still learning more about this virus,” the CDC website states.
The CDC continues to urge people to continue adhering to safety precautions, including social distancing, frequent handwashing, and routinely disinfecting.