THE NEW NORMAL • DAY ONE

At Full Strength, Andela

Using ‘Phase 1’ Guidelines

Cynthia Andela, president of Andela Product & Ruby Lakes Glass, Richfield Springs, and Bob Walrath, Mohawk, demonstrate the glass recycling companies’ commitment to 6 feet of social distancing as the company was back at full strength Friday, the first day of Governor Cuomo’s Phase One of the “new normal.”  The company’s 20-person workforce had been at half-strength during April, but with PPP funding and its customers again placing orders, things are returning to normal, and Andela hopes the company will recoup any losses over the summer.  Meeting the governor’s guidelines, Andela workers are using a sign-in sheet daily averring they and their family members are COVID-free, and then their temperatures are taken.  At work, employees wear masks and practice social distance; a second picnic table was acquired for the break room, to allow sufficient space between people.  Andela’s sister, who runs a fabric company, is also providing the Town of Columbia company with polyamide fibre face masks, that people can wear without fogging their glasses.  “You can wash the mask when you wash your hands, and it’s dry 15 minutes later,” the company president said.  The masks are available at the plant, and the Richfield Springs Food Pantry.  Also, the Richfield Springs Coop has already sold 21, according to proprietor Dan Sullivan.  (Jim Kevlin /AllOTSEGO.com)

CLICK TO ORDER A RUBY LAKES FACEMASK