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The COVID–19 pandemic and public health emergency have shaped the way we do things and required us to examine our social practices, community consciousness, and the way we provide services in the home, community, and center–based settings. It’s unknown when a COVID–19 vaccine will be available, local and state social distancing orders will be lifted, and re–entry criteria will be established; however, the company will continue to practice good universal precautionary actions, handwashing, follow CDC guidelines and recommendations, and adhere to the following re–entry matrix, criteria and guidelines. Our predominate drive is to keep everyone safe, healthy, and well, while doing what we can to see a containment or downward turn of COVID–19 confirmed cases.
Tier I
We will protect ourselves and others from exposure to disease causing organisms such as tuberculosis, pertussis, shigellosis, streptococcal, conjunctivitis, chicken pox, head lice and scabies, influenza, bronchitis, & COVID–19, with everyday preventive actions.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use an alcohol–based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Open windows to enhance fresh airflow and ventilation.
- Be vigilant on keeping yourself and others safe, healthy, and protected from respiratory illnesses.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Contaminated surfaces can transmit the influenza virus for 24 hours.
- Following company’s Operational Policies and Procedures on Communicable Disease.
The company will monitor, obtain, and furnish disinfectant and hand sanitation supplies for staff and Medicaid participants to use. The dispensers and hand washing stations are readily available.
If people are sick, to keep from spreading respiratory illness to others, they will:
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow (as per CDC cough etiquette) or with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Tier II
The company will heighten its efforts to protect ourselves and others from respiratory illness with the supplemental preventive actions.
- GSDC will monitor for every person entering the work site. Those attempting to enter the building are required to report to a company representative. The person entering the work site should not exhibit symptoms of a respiratory illness or fever. If the individual’s response is that they are experiencing symptoms, they will be restricted from entering the site.
- If you must meet face–to–face, use the largest available conference room. Larger rooms have better ventilation. There is more room to spread out.
- Small groups are better than big groups because it reduces the risk of exposure.
- Wearing masks are encouraged, but not required for staff [covering nose and mouth, breathing without restrictions and launder and machine dried without damage] when engaging with others, where social distancing [three feet or less] may be difficult.
- Deep–cleaning and disinfecting frequently efforts in high–traffic, high–volume areas. Those assisting with cleaning areas will receive direct instruction on proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Communal areas such as dayrooms, restrooms and offices are cleaned at a minimum of once per day and more if needed. Disinfecting frequency has been increased, including regular disinfecting of touchpoints (telephones, doorknobs, desk areas, etc.). All cleaning practices will allow for physical distancing of staff.
- Medicaid participants will be encouraged to wear masks [face covering] at places open to the public; however, direct support professionals will keep Medicaid participants safe by postponing access to public places when the Medicaid participants’ tolerance or use of facial masks could result in harm.
- Face coverings may not be advantageous outdoors, unless contact with others are inevitable.
- Face coverings should not be worn while driving vehicles.
Tier III
The company will enhance its precautions by adding these additional measures and actions.
- Wearing masks are encouraged, but not required for staff [covering nose and mouth, breathing without restrictions and launder and machine dried without damage] when engaging with others, where social distancing [six feet] may be difficult.
- Medicaid participants will be encouraged to wear masks, but not required [face covering] at places open to the public. However, direct support professionals will keep Medicaid participants safe by postponing access to public places when the Medicaid participants cannot tolerate or use of facial masks to keep them from harm.
- Face coverings may not be advantageous outdoors, unless contact with others are enviable.
- Face coverings should not be worn while driving vehicles.
- Avoid handshakes. Handshaking as a customary greeting enables virus transmission through skin–to–skin contact. Substitute something else — smile, wave, or bump elbows.
- Avoid the lunchroom rush. Whether you eat lunch in the designed area, avoid the rush. Eat earlier, later, or eat with just a few people in a quiet area, inside or out.
- Avoid the commuter rush periods. When non–emergent transportation providers arrive, take advantage of available spacing to avoid exposure to crowds.
- Substitute tele–meetings for face–to–face meetings. Reducing the number or duration of face–to–face meetings reduce the opportunity for virus transmission. Shift as much of the agenda as possible to email or teleconference.
- Social distancing of six feet or more. People who are less than six feet away from an infected person more, especially for those with greatest risk of infection. Those with greater risk will be asked to stay home.
- If you have traveled from an affected area, there may be restrictions on your movements for up to fourteen days. If you develop symptoms during that period (fever, cough, trouble breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a loss of taste or smell), seek medical advice. The individual will self–quarantined for 14 days.
- Suspend intake, reducing the density in congregate settings, screening of all those entering the facility, have masks and hand sanitizer available to all staff and population, and suspending in–person visiting and volunteering.
- Strictly following the social distancing guidelines and spacing individuals to minimize cluster groups by limiting to gatherings of fewer than 10 people.
- Establish and limit room capacity to adhere to social–distancing guidelines.
- Volunteers will not be permitted to enter the facility until further notice.
Tier IV
Company institutes company–wide partial furloughs or layoffs due to federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID–19. Enough workforce remains to provide services to Medicaid participants; however, not all Medicaid participants may not be able to access supports and services. The company may implemented a mandatory 14–day stay–at–home order and self–quarantine certain employees and Medicaid participants to ensure recovery and signs and symptoms of COVID–19 are absent.
- Wearing masks are required [covering nose and mouth, breathing without restrictions and launder and machine dried without damage] when engaging with others, social distancing will be strictly enforced. When social distancing cannot occur with certain Medicaid participants, services will be temporary discontinued to said participant.
- Medicaid participants will wear masks [face covering] at places open to the public; however, when the Medicaid participants cannot tolerate facial masks, services will be temporary discontinued to the said participant.
- Face coverings will be used for all on and off–site activities.
Tier V
Company temporary closes and discontinues to offer and provide services. The company may institute company–wide furloughs or layoffs due to federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation orders related to COVID–19 or existing workforce is unavailable, due to having symptoms or quarantined related to COVID–19, to provide services to Medicaid participants. Administration will monitor federal, state, or local activities and general workforce condition to determine the best course of action.
