Good Afternoon,
We’ve almost made it through another week and are rocketing our way through summer!
Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, the coronavirus has started to feel a little closer to home as we have had several employees who have displayed symptoms or been in close contact with someone who later tested positive. Each of these employees has taken appropriate measures to self-isolate or self-quarantine but it certainly hits home that we are all vulnerable to this virus. Thankfully, we still do not have any employees who have tested positive and we hope that it remains that way.
I urge each and every one of you to continue to follow all safety guidelines. Practice good hygiene. Maintain appropriate social distance. Follow the current mask/face covering protocol. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have had “close contact” with a COVID-19 positive person, do not report to work. Contact your supervisor and HR immediately.
There continues to be a lot of conversation within the organization about “close contact”. Remember, according to the CDC, “close contact” is defined as anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes, starting from 48 hours before the person began feeling sick until the time the person was isolated. As an organization we are using this definition of “close contact” when making personnel decisions. We will continue to follow the guidance we receive from our county, state and federal resources.
We are still not operating as “business as usual”. There are very few instances where any of us should be in “close contact’ with a co-worker. If you have ideas for preventing “close contact” with others, please talk with your supervisor about making those changes.
I know that these events are unsettling, but this is not the time to panic. This is the time to be smart about following safety protocols and to do your part to keep yourself and others safe. Again, we can get through this if we all work together.
Please have a safe and relaxing weekend. I think we all deserve it!
As always, thanks for all that you do,
Sheryl
