Veterinary Practices: Reopening After COVID-19
Veterinary Practices: What to Expect Upon Reopening After COVID-19 Closures
Once shelter-in-place restrictions have been lifted, what happens next? How do practices in California effectively (and safely) operate? Here is what to expect:
Limited occupancy
If California takes cues from other States, the veterinary community can expect businesses to be filled at 25%-50% of their listed total occupancy. This is also most likely to be Phase 1 (with several to follow) of slowly reintroducing groups to post-quarantine living.
Social distancing
It has been extensively documented that limiting human-to-human contact is the safest way to remain healthy during this pandemic. Despite such challenges, this limitation might continue to be “best practice” when offices reopen. While implementing a low capacity percentage, veterinarians could expect more of the following:
- Meeting clients and ill animals at their cars (versus inside waiting rooms)
- Only having 1 client in a waiting room at a time if space does not allow a 6–10 foot distance between others
- Requiring ill animals to be exclusively held by veterinary staff — not their owners and staff.
Tele-everything
Video Chats and Digital Meetings will not be going away. Contact-free interaction is expected to continue. This means teleconferencing patient assessment and follow-up could be the new normal. By conducting pre and post tele-assessment, in-person contact between veterinary staff and clients is kept at a minimum. This also helps free up space when in-person office visits are necessary.
Picking up medications are also expected to be contact-free with practices recommended to schedule pick-up times in advance.
Investment in online payment technology is also forecasted to occur. This is meant to lessen human-to-human contact. If online functionality is not already existent at veterinary practices, telephone payment is a recommended contact-less alternative.
Lastly, as expected, all parties are expected to have appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for safely conducting business.
We hope these emerging details help you effectively prepare for the next phase in these unprecedented times. If any of our policyholders have questions on this, or any other safety-related topic, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to being in touch.
SOURCES:
Products and services are provided by one or more insurance company subsidiaries of W. R. Berkley Corporation. Not all products and services are available in every jurisdiction, and the precise coverage afforded by any insurer is subject to the actual terms and conditions of the policies as issued.