COVID-19 Instructions for Volunteers and Staff

Administration
1

@SpaceForce

Hey all,

Per Brian’s post about the space during the COVID outbreak, I wanted to let you all know a couple of policies and changes that I’d like to implement to keep our community safe.

  • If you are practicing social distancing, that is totally fine, but please let us know. This goes particularly for the Shift Leaders, so I don’t schedule you for a shift by accident.

  • If you’re sick, stay home from your shift. Even if the sickness doesn’t seem to be COVID-19, if you’re sick enough to think “Huh…I feel like I’m a bit sick,” please stay home. Our reasoning for this is that we both want to limit the risks to any immune-compromised members and don’t want there to be any reason for a rumor to develop that someone has this–remember that worry is high right now, and so is bad information.

  • Since our space is communal, we should start observing cleaning protocols at the beginning and ending of shifts. Those exist already, but we (by which I mean I) can be a bit lax about them. So, at the beginning of your shift, please wipe down the kitchenette and give the bathroom a cleaning. We should also wipe down the surface of the front community tables and the table in the flex space.

  • We have a good stock of Clorox wipes currently, but these are one of the items that are most in-demand in stores right now. Please save wipes for things like hearing protection rather than surfaces. We’ll use a Clorox solution for those.

  • We’ve cleaned and disinfected the communal safety gear and we’re adding a “used safety gear” bucket in the front area. Please help by reminding members to deposit their safety gear (eyeglasses, hearing protection) there when finished. We’ll clean and/or disinfect those on the regular and return them to circulation. Eyewear will be washed with soap and water and then disinfected with a Clorox solution. Earmuffs will be wiped down with Clorox wipes.

Thank you all for being awesome volunteers, and for keeping the space running thoughtfully. If there’s anything you come up with to add to this, please let me know.

2

The attached was sent today by LARA to all Michigan Businesses. You may have seen it already, but I thought I’d share it just in case. I’ve tried to paste in the sections of note to our community (although the entire document is probably useful to many)

Michiganders have been preparing for COVID-19 for weeks, and all individuals should
continue to take the following basic personal-hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the
virus:

  • wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer;
  • avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands;
  • cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing;
  • avoid handshakes;
  • avoid contact with sick people who are sick; and
  • stay home when you are sick.

Michigan must take further action, however. To help avoid a rapid increase of cases in the state, MDHHS recommends implementing now the following community mitigation strategies. Please note, guidance for health care providers is not addressed in this document, but is available at www.Michigan.gov/coronavirus.

Individuals and families at home:

  1. Learn about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
  2. If you have respiratory symptoms, STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK. Call your health care provider’s office in advance of your visit.
  3. Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, keyboards, cell phones, and light switches.
  4. Communicate and reinforce best practices for washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
  5. Be prepared if there is COVID-19 in your household or a disruption of daily activities in your community. For example, maintain a supply of medications, food, and other essentials in your house. Consider alternative shopping options such as curbside pickups or online deliveries.
  6. Access services as much as possible online or by phone.

Individuals at risk of severe illness:

These individuals include, but are not limited to, older adults and persons of any age with underlying medical conditions, such as persons with a blood disorder (e.g., sickle cell disease or a disorder being treated with blood thinners), an endocrine disorder (e.g., diabetes mellitus), or a metabolic disorder (such as inborn error of metabolism); those with heart disease, lung disease (including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), chronic kidney disease, or chronic liver disease; those with a compromised immune system (e.g., those who are receiving treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, who have received an organ or bone marrow transplant, who are taking high doses of immunosuppressant, or who have HIV or AIDS); those who are currently pregnant or were pregnant in the last two weeks; and those with neurological or neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions.

  1. Individuals at risk of severe illness should stay at home and keep away from others who are sick, except in exceptional circumstances. Wash your hands often, particularly after contact with high-touch surfaces. Avoid crowds and closed-in settings with little air ventilation as much as possible. Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air travel.
  2. Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, keyboards, cell phones, and light switches.
  3. In households with individuals at risk of severe illness, provide a protected space for those individuals and have healthy people conduct themselves as if they were a significant risk to those individuals. For example, healthy people should wash their hands before feeding or caring for an at-risk individual.
  4. Have a plan for if you get sick, and stay in touch with others by phone or email.
  5. Watch for symptoms and emergency warning signs that require immediate medical attention.
  6. Family members and caregivers can support older adults by knowing what medications they are taking and ensuring there is an extra supply on hand.
  7. Family members and caregivers can support older adults by monitoring food and other necessary medical supplies (e.g., oxygen, incontinence, dialysis, and wound care supplies) and by creating a back-up plan for securing those essentials if they run out.

Also:

Community and faith-based organizations:

  1. Identify safe ways to serve those who are at high risk or vulnerable through outreach and assistance.
  2. Encourage staff and members to stay home when sick and to notify the organization of illness.
  3. Communicate and reinforce best practices for washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
  4. Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, keyboards, cell phones, and light switches.
  5. Ensure hand hygiene supplies are readily accessible.
  6. Implement social distancing measures as feasible.
  7. Reduce in-person gatherings and activities, especially for organizations with individuals at risk of severe illness. Consider offering video or audio of events.
  8. Determine ways to continue providing support services to individuals at risk of severe illness while limiting group settings and exposures.
  9. Avoid large gatherings (e.g., greater than 100 people in a shared space) or move to smaller and staggered gatherings.
  10. For organizations that serve high-risk communities, cancel gatherings of more than 10 people.

MDHHS_Interim_Recommendations_for_COVID-19_final_683589_7.pdf (159.5 KB)