UPDATE: Ann’s Place has closed to all in-person meetings. You may reach staff by phone and email during their normal working hours. Please note that some staff are part-time and will get back to you as soon as they can.
It is easy to get caught up in the news and overly stress ourselves about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). It is important to follow some basic steps to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus, but please know that worrying more is not one of those steps.
Here at Ann’s Place, we are asking all guests to follow these best practices:
Washing Your Hands is Best: 20-30 seconds with soap and water as many times a day as possible. Everyone is welcome to use the kitchen and bathroom sinks anytime while visiting Ann’s Place. We also have Purell bottles in many locations if you can’t get to a sink.
Don’t Touch Your Face: The average person touches their face 90x a day! If you can’t stop, you may want to wear a light mask. The mask does not protect you from direct contamination, but it simply helps you break the habit of touching your mouth and nose. According to Dr. James Robb “The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.”
No Handshaking: It is best to avoid handshaking until flu season is done. Try out a fist or elbow bump instead.
Clean Surfaces: The Coronavirus can live on a surface for up to 9 days. As a result, we will be wiping down surfaces before and after programs. There will be a container of wipes in the common areas, such as the kitchen and wait areas. Please grab a wipe and clean the area before and after use.
If Sick, Stay Home: We do not allow anyone into the building who is sick. Even if you just have a non-contagious lingering cough, this can cause a lot of anxiety to other people in the building who have compromised immune systems.
Keep Us Posted: Please alert us if you had contact with Ann’s Place after being near someone with Coronavirus so we can warn other clients and cleanse the building. If you have recently traveled to a “Level 2-3” travel advisory country (China, Iran, Italy, Japan or South Korea), you should stay home until you have been cleared by a doctor.
If We Close: We will send out a note by email and will post on our home page if we need to close. In the case that we do, many groups may have a dial-in option.
Questions?
Information in this email is not intended to be medical advice. If you have any questions about COVID-19, please visit the website of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.