New CDC guidelines say surfaces can be cleaned just once a day

Repeatedly wiping surfaces has been considered one of the top preventive measures for workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic yet cleaning surfaces once a day is “usually enough to sufficiently remove virus that may be on surfaces and help maintain a healthy facility,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in updated guidelines released Monday. 

The CDC update said the once-a-day cleaning applies when “no people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are known to have been in a space.”

However, the CDC said establishments “may want to either clean more frequently or choose to disinfect (in addition to cleaning) in shared spaces if certain conditions apply that can increase the risk of infection from touching surfaces.”

Such conditions include high transmission of COVID-19 in the community, a low number of people wearing masks, infrequent hand hygiene, or if the space is occupied by people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

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