Happy first day of spring!! The daffodils and crocus are popping out!! Hoping everyone finds a breath of sunshine during this chaotic time. Remember to take time to recharge.
I want to thank the many, many CSI Team Members who continue to provide excellent supports when it means leaving their families or increased risk of becoming ill. You have earned my respect and thanks through your empathy and compassion. – Janet Butler
Just a brief update on what is happening:
1. All at CSI are under a travel ban. No vacations or business travel.
2. Our group supports are helping folks to maintain social distance, avoid crowds and working to limit any potential exposures.
3. We are following the state of emergency mandates in each state- limiting visitor, reporting, vigilance with handwashing, and limiting potential exposure.
4. We are focused on helping those we support to have structure and purpose to their days. Without our regular routines we all can feel the increased stress. Developing new routines will be helpful for the folks we support and their staff.
5. The CSI Board of Directors meeting schedule for 3/20/20 has been changed to a telephone meeting.
6. Our leaders are identifying staff who need support with their schedules, financial concerns and other issues to ensure CSI is helping our most valued resource.
7. Preparing for the long haul… we project this will keep going for a while. We are preparing plans to provide the supports long term in our time of uncertainty. Through respect, innovation, integrity, compassion, accountability and perserverance the CSI Teams are aligned to explore creative scheduling, realigning supports, and proactively plan for the upcoming month.
CSI is monitoring closely the impact of COVID-19 on our communities. Staying abreast of the progression of the pandemic is a priority and will guide us in future decisions.
The Governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and Virginia have all issued mandates amending the previous state of emergency declarations. All states are expecting its citizens to self quarantine at this time, group meetings and events are restricted, restaurants have been closed with the exception of take out service and other guidelines to help contain the spread of the virus.
Cases of the COVID-19 virus by state:
Bold, italic counties indicate counties where CSI supports are located
Delaware:
Confirmed Positive Cases: 16
- New Castle County-15
- Sussex County-1
Virginia:
67 Confirmed Cases -updated March 17,2020
County:
- Arlington 13
- Fairfax 12
- Loudoun- 4
- Virginia Beach 4
Connecticut:
Latest
COVID-19 Testing Data in Connecticut
Updated 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, 2020
- Total patients who tested positive (including presumptive positive): 68
- Fairfield County: 48
- Hartford County: 7
- Litchfield County: 5
- New Haven County: 8
Massachusetts:
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Cases in MA
As of March 17, 2020
Confirmed Cases Reported = 218
By County
- Barnstable 2
- Berkshire 14
- Bristol 5
- Essex 8
- Hampden 1
- Middlesex 89
- Norfolk 43
- Plymouth 5
- Suffolk 42
- Worcester 8
- Unknown 1
- Dukes 0
March 17, 2020
On this St. Patrick’s Day I thought I would share some information to help people understand some of the terms that are surrounding us related to the COVID-19 outbreak. I was reading the Cape Cod Health News and found the information to be easy to understand and with the exception of the article about testing on Cape Cod, relevant to all.
Understanding the coronavirus vocabulary
March 17, 2020 By: Beth Ann Lombardi
Home Medical Services Infectious Disease Understanding the coronavirus vocabulary
Infectious Disease
“Social distancing”? “Presumptive positive”? You’re not alone if you don’t quite understand some of the key words that physicians and journalists are using to tell us about the new coronavirus, COVID-19. We’ve put together a quick reference guide to help you.
“It’s important to get your information from a reliable source, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—the CDC—which is our primary source for COVID-19 information,” said David Pombo, MD, medical director of infectious disease at Cape Cod Healthcare.
Understanding the information you hear and read is important, especially now that a global pandemic has been declared. The overwhelming amount of media information centered on COVID-19 can make those messages difficult to grasp.
Below is a brief review of the vocabulary you should know.
3 Possible Test Results
Presumptive Positive Case: Individuals with at least one respiratory specimen that tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 at a state or local laboratory. The specimen will be identified as ‘presumptive positive’ until the result is confirmed at CDC.
Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Case: Individuals with at least one respiratory specimen that tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 at a CDC laboratory.
Negative Case: The individual does not have COVIC-19, if their test results are negative.
COVID-19 Vocabulary Words
COVID-19: Originally referred to as the new coronavirus disease in the media, COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. COVID is an abbreviation for ‘coronavirus disease’, and 19 refers to 2019, the year the disease was discovered.
COVID-19 is a lower respiratory tract disease, which means it primarily effects the lungs.
Coronavirus: Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals, including camels, cats, and bats.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC): The United States’ health protection agency, whose mission is to save lives and protect people from health, safety, and security threats.
Community Spread: This refers to how individuals get the virus. At first, COVID-19 was spread through travel; people became infected with COVID-19 after being in contact with someone who had been in Wuhan, China, where the disease originated. Community Spread means that individuals are now picking up the virus from some unknown infected person (who may or may not have visited China or one of the other hot spots around the world) with whom they’ve come into contact. Currently, we are experiencing community spread, which is why staying home and staying away from other individuals will help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Social Distancing: Deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness. Examples of social distancing are:
- Staying at least six feet away from other people
- Working from home instead of at the office
- Closing schools and other public venues
- Visiting friends and loved ones by using electronic devices instead of in person
Isolation vs. Quarantine
Isolation and quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.
The clearest definition of these two words is on the U.S. Health and Human Services website, which borrows from and then expands on the CDC definitions.
Isolation: Used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of certain diseases. For example, hospitals use isolation for patients with infectious tuberculosis.
Quarantine: Used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of communicable disease.
Self-Quarantine: People who have been around an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 are asked to self-quarantine, which means to stay at home and avoid all contact with other individuals for 14 days. Fourteen days is the longest time it typically takes for the virus to emerge in an infected person.
To self-quarantine, you should:
- Use standard hygiene and wash your hands frequently.
- Not share towels, utensils, or other common household items with other people.
- Stay at home.
- Not have visitors.
- Stay at least six feet away from other people in your household.
Dear CSI Family,
CSI is continuing to monitor all aspects of the corona outbreak and adjust our operations to meet the needs of those we support and our valued team members.
CSI is committed to provide our staff the balance to help maintain optimum health, balance family demands and handle financial responsibilities. We will work hard to ensure the virus outbreak and the changes made to accommodate the new needs of those CSI supports, do not affect our staff and their families detrimentally. Please speak to your manager if you have concerns about your work schedule or other extenuating needs. We are committed to assist if at all possible. We are also committed to ensure you continue to receive the financial means for you to weather this storm.
CSI has made the decision to close the business offices in CSI Massachusetts, CSI Virginia, CSI Delaware and CSI Connecticut today at 5pm. We will remain closed until the officials give clearance to reopen. CSI will continue to operate our office based functions remotely. The focus is to decrease the need for people to congregate, provide the opportunity for social distancing and hopefully mitigate some of the potential spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. We expect all critical functions –payroll, reimbursements, health insurance, and human resource support to continue, with some modifications to processes. You will receive specific instructions from your individual business team on any changes happening to the processes at your CSI.
If you need to reach someone at your office, you can call the normal phone number. Calls are being routed to the staff where they are working. Our email system remains up and running and we will be communicating via our blog page (www.communitysystems.org) and on the CSI Facebook page.
CSI is also looking at more flexible options to provide supports and more creative employee schedules. Again, the changes are being made with the focus to decrease shift changes and limit the number of people coming in and out of homes. If you have creative ideas, please bring them to your manager for consideration.
I am deeply appreciative of the many, many people CSI has in its circle that have stepped up and committed to be there for those we support. I recognize the personal sacrifice and the level of dedication and compassion involved. Our CSI Team Members are a group of people that truly embrace the CSI values and care about the people we support. For this I am truly grateful.
Please, if you have any question of exposure or quarantine has been recommended, do not come to work. If you are showing signs of illness, do not come to work. Notify your team leader by telephone with your concerns. Also, remain vigilant with social distancing, handwashing and good cough etiquette as these are the steps to help protect you and those around you.
Again, I am truly grateful to all who make CSI the great organization it is.
With my thoughts and prayers,
Janet Butler,
CEO/President
March 15,2020
From Janet Butler, CEO/President
I believe increased communication and awareness are our best defense against fear as we deal with the everchanging coronavirus situation. I will be posting daily on our blog. Each day will bring some new information; our focus will remain to provide supports which promote optimum health and wellness for the people CSI supports and our team members.
Community Systems, Inc. provides supports in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and Virginia. Community Systems Support and Management Services, Inc. (SAMS) provides oversight and support to the four CSIs and is based in Pocasset, MA.
CSI CT
Confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in the State of Connecticut as of 3/14/2020- twenty (20)
Governor Lamont issued a state of emergency on March 10, 2020:
Lamont declares state of emergency: Lamont gave himself broad powers to act in the name of public health and specifically to slow the spread of coronavirus Tuesday when he declared a state of emergency. Using those powers, he banned gatherings of more than 250 people and waived a state requirement that public school students attend class for 180 days this year, paving the way for dozens of school districts to shut down without fear of having to make up all the days that were missed. “We don’t do this lightly,” Lamont said in announcing the state of emergency. “We’ve got to be prepared for what is happening.” Another power the decision gives Lamont is the ability to quarantine residents at risk of spreading the virus. Under state statute, lawmakers have 72 hours from the time the emergency is declared to override it, but a bipartisan committee that met at the Capitol Wednesday was on board with the decision.
CSI DE
Confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in the State of Delaware as of 3/14/2020- six (6)
March 12, 2020 Govener Carney announces state of emergency:
WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney has issued a State of Emergency to prepare for the spread of coronavirus in the state.
The declaration, which will be effective as of 8 a.m. Friday, March 13th, directs the Delaware Emergency Management Agency and the Delaware Department of Health & Social Services’ Division of Public Health to mobilize state agency resources to assist with Delaware’s response to the virus.
In addition:
- The Delaware National Guard is required to take precautionary and responsive actions to assist with Delaware’s response to the virus
- Event organizers in the state are advised to cancel non-essential public gatherings of 100 people or more to prevent community spread of the virus
- The State of Delaware is allowed to conduct public meetings electronically to prevent unnecessary public gatherings
- Price gouging, or an excessive price increase of goods or services, is prohibited during the outbreak.
This emergency declaration does not require schools or businesses to close their facilities, implement any driving restrictions in Delaware, or close state office buildings.
CSI MA
Confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as of 3/14/2020- 138
March 10, 2020 Govener Baker issues state of emergency in Massachusetts:
BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a State of Emergency on Tuesday due to the ongoing concerns about coronavirus. Baker made the announcement during a press conference at the State House.
Health officials announced on Tuesday there are 51 new cases, bringing the state’s total of positive tests to 92. Of those cases, 70 were connected to a Biogen employee conference at the Marriott Long Wharf in Boston at the end of February.
On Monday, there were 41 cases in the state.
“We believe it’s important to start taking more aggressive action now to mitigate spread based on the information we have available,” Baker said. “There’s no question the efforts to mitigate the spread of this virus will be disruptive. We expect this disruption to continue for the foreseeable future and understand it will cause inconvenience for many. But our goal needs to be to significantly increase efforts to mitigate the spread of this disease now.”
Baker said executive branch employees will discontinue work-related foreign and domestic travel until further notice. Conferences, seminars and other gatherings hosted by executive branch agencies involving external parties will be held virtually or canceled.
“The Commonwealth is one of the largest employers, so we have a significant role to play in mitigating the spread of this virus. We urge all employers and large organizations to follow suit where it is appropriate for them to do so,” Baker said.
Baker said older adults and people with health issues should avoid large crowds whenever possible. But the governor said because many of those people need to use the MBTA, efforts to disinfect stations will continue.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is providing local schools with relief from attendance and school year requirements so schools can make decisions to close if the opportunity arises due to coronavirus. The longest any school will be required to go is its 185th scheduled day.
“I would have to say the risk has increased,” said Baker. “But again, that’s part of the reason for the guidance we put out there with respect to the way we think we are going to act as an employer. We would like to see other employers do similar things.”
The last state of emergency for Massachusetts was issued in September 2018 for the Merrimack Valley gas explosions.
“We urge all of our residents to do their part to stay informed to keep the Commonwealth safe and healthy,” Baker said.
Baker echoed what Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said earlier in the day regarding the Boston Marathon, saying a decision will be made at a later date if it will go on. But in general, Baker said “large gatherings probably aren’t a good idea” at the current time.
“I fully expect a decision is going to be made soon,” Baker said.
CSI VA
Confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in the Commonwealth of Virginia as of 3/14/2020- seventeen (17)
March 12, 2020 Govener Northam announces state of emergency:
RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth of Virginia in response to the continued spread of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
While Virginia has been thoroughly preparing for weeks and has adequate funding to address the situation, this declaration will allow the Commonwealth increased flexibility to ease regulatory requirements and procurement rules, continue federal and multi-state coordination, and ensure continued access to critical services for the most vulnerable Virginians. In addition, it has become increasingly clear that states must take a primary leadership role in the national response to COVID-19. The full text of the Governor’s emergency declaration is available here.
“Our top priority is to make sure Virginians stay safe and healthy, and that our response to this situation leaves no one behind,” said Governor Northam. “From our health department, to our schools, to our hospitals, to our transit systems, Virginia’s agencies and institutions have been thoroughly planning for every scenario. This emergency declaration will ensure we can continue to prepare for and appropriately respond to Virginians’ needs during this time.”
Governor Northam also announced additional steps to ensure the health and safety of all Virginians, including:
Ban on State Employee Travel and Implementation of Telework Policies
Virginia has over 100,000 state employees stationed throughout the Commonwealth. Governor Northam has halted all official travel outside of Virginia by state employees, with increased flexibility for inter-state commuters and essential personnel. Specific guidance will be released to agency heads and state employees, and Virginia will revisit these guidelines after 30 days.
Governor Northam has also directed his Secretary of Administration to implement a phased transition to teleworking for state employees. The Department of Human Resources Management will work with the Virginia Department of Health’s Equity Workgroup to prioritize support for impacted state employees that may be unable to perform their duties from home, including janitorial, food, and grounds staff.
The Department of Human Resources Management has worked to ensure all agencies have updated emergency operations and leave policies. State employees, including part-time employees, can access paid Public Health Emergency Leave in the event of exposure to COVID-19 or high-risk travel.
Public Gatherings and Large Events
In accordance with advice from state public health experts, the Commonwealth of Virginia will cancel all specially-scheduled state conferences and large events for a minimum of 30 days.
Governor Northam is directing state agencies, through the Department of Human Resource Management, to limit in-person meetings and non-essential, work-related gatherings.
Governor Northam is also urging localities and non-profits to limit large public events, effective immediately. Localities should make these decisions in coordination with their local health departments and the Virginia Department of Health. Highly populated localities and those with close proximity to positive cases are strongly encouraged to announce updated event guidance by Friday, March 13, at 5:00 PM, in advance of the weekend.
Long-Term Economic Planning
Governor Northam is also assessing the potential long-term economic impacts of COVID-19. While containing the spread of the public health threat remains a top priority, Governor Northam is working with state and local partners to ensure Virginia are prepared for any continued economic disruption.
Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade will coordinate regularly with representatives from the Virginia Employment Commission, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, the Department of Labor and Industry, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and other relevant stakeholders.
Throughout his administration, Governor Northam has worked closely with state legislators to protect Virginia’s strong economy and prepare for unexpected economic shocks. The General Assembly will vote today on a budget that boosts Virginia’s reserve funds more than at any other time in the Commonwealth’s history, an essential mechanism to ensure continued state services regardless of economic uncertainty.
Ongoing State Response Efforts
The Commonwealth of Virginia is continuing to execute a multi-agency response plan across all levels of government. Efforts include the following:
Schools
- The Department of Education has advised all school districts to update their pandemic guidelines, in consultation with their local health departments.
- The Northam administration continues to be in regular communication with superintendents, university and community college presidents, to provide guidance on the unique situations they are facing on the ground.
Nursing Homes
- The Virginia Department of Health has expanded its testing criteria to ensure that anyone who has symptoms and is in a nursing home is top priority and gets immediate testing.
- Nursing homes and senior care facilities have updated their policies to provide additional visitor screening and increased monitoring of patients.
Vulnerable Virginians
- Virginia’s social services agencies are preparing options to ensure the most vulnerable populations have continued access to critical services, including the potential for in-home care and food supports.
- In the event of extended school closures, the Virginia Department of Social Services is working with local partners, such as food pantries, to ensure no one goes hungry.
Addressing Barriers to Care
- Virginia is working with insurers to waive co-pays and diagnostic testing related to COVID-19.
- Governor Northam continues to encourage private businesses to explore telework and paid time off options, including those with hourly workers.
Transportation
- Across the Commonwealth’s transportation network, which includes airports, Metro, buses, and rail, Virginia is adjusting cleaning schedules according to CDC protocol.
- Virginia is also working with transportation partners to help reduce the potential spread of disease.