Our Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID‐19) is a rapidly evolving situation. See our COVID-19 Updates for the latest small business resources, tools, and updates.

As we continue to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic very closely, we want to update you on the steps Mountain BizWorks is taking to help prevent the spread of the virus and support the health and well-being of our event attendees, clients, staff, and community members.

Steps we are taking…

We are proactively implementing our preparedness and response plan, and we encourage all of the businesses we work with to do the same. In fact, we’ve already taken a series of precautionary steps in response to COVID-19.

1. We are closely following the latest guidance from the CDC, WHO, and local public health organizations and are encouraging employees to stay home if they are feeling sick, have a sick family member in their home, or have traveled to a high-risk region.

2. We have implemented new cleaning protocols and increased sanitizing in our classrooms and common areas. We are promoting good hygiene practices and recommended precautions to prevent the spread of all respiratory illnesses.

3. We are actively asking anyone who is sick or becoming sick not to attend Mountain BizWorks events in person. Beginning, Monday, March 16, we will offer a virtual participation option for our classes and workshops.

4. We are testing our emergency communications systems and have developed procedural information for our staff regarding how to report and support anyone that expresses being impacted by the virus.

5. We have temporarily suspended all business-related travel outside of the WNC region.

We are taking this public health situation very seriously and appreciate your help in taking every precaution and preparing for any potential threat.

Steps you can take…

• Wash your hands often
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
• Stay home if you are sick or becoming sick
• When you sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
• Counter stigma by learning and sharing the facts

Get even more tactics from the CDC for decreasing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting your workplace, school, home, and commercial establishments.

Additional Resources

For the latest COVID‐19 developments, prevention tips, and guidelines, we recommend referring to the following sources:

• Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives
• CDC: Latest News on COVID-19
• WHO: Information and Guidance Regarding the COVID-19 Outbreak
• NCDHHS: COVID-19 Response in North Carolina
• NCDHHS: COVID-19 Information for Businesses and Employers
• Buncombe County Department of Health: COVID-19 News and Information
• JHU Interactive Map: COVID-19 Global Cases
• OSHA Workplace Guidance
• NC Center for Nonprofits COVID Resources