COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Escher is implementing strong preventative measures to combat infection. We are only as strong as our weakest link; **we depend on every member following the procedures in this document**. Escher has multiple members who are at high risk of serious complications, so even if you may not be at risk, you are still a transmission vector to those who are.
Contents
Sanitary Hand Washing Procedure
- New guidance for hand washing will be posted in all kitchens and bathrooms
- You should treat your hands like you do during cook / clean shift all the time
- Assume that any common surface or object you touch is infected
- Door handles, light switches, tables, guff food containers, etc.
Social Gatherings
- At this time, we encourage members to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people
- If you are are in a high-risk group, we recommend minimizing personal contact with other members
- High-risk groups include: older adults; people with heart disease, lung disease or diabetes; people with compromised immune systems; people with severe chronic medical conditions
Dinner / Guff Food Procedures
- New procedures for guff food handling will be posted in the dining rooms
- All members should wash or sanitize hands both before touching handles and after putting away guff containers, on top of using gloves or food handlers to touch food
- New procedures for serving dinner will be posted in the dining rooms
- All members are expected to wash or sanitize hands both before and after touching any common serving utensils
- We encourage all members take food back to their rooms or suite kitchens after serving in order to avoid a large gathering in the dining rooms
Quarantine Procedure
- If you feel that you are sick or may have come in contact with someone who is sick, please quarantine yourself and do not risk transmission to others
- You should isolate yourself in your room for 14 days from your last exposure
- Suppressants such as cough medicine or decongestants do not reduce transmission of viruses, regardless of if you feel better
- If you must leave your room, try to avoid common areas such as dining rooms, suite kitchens, and suite lounges
- Sign up to have meals delivered to your room using this spreadsheet
- Contact your healthcare provider, explain your symptoms, and follow their instructions
- They may recommend you to seek additional medical care or testing
- If you notice any of the following severe symptoms, immediately seek medical care:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
Encourage Awareness
- We must all be vigilant. A pandemic of this scale is unprecedented in the last 100 years, so we must take unprecedented measures to combat it
- Encourage a culture of hand washing
- Kindly remind others to follow the hand washing procedure
- Do not take offense if someone asks if you’ve washed your hands
- Encourage anyone who feels sick, or may have come in contact with someone sick, follows the self-quarantine procedure
- Continue to treat others with respect and kindness
- Respect means not treating anyone less for being sick
- Respect means taking sickness seriously and avoiding transmission to others
Suite Sanitation Chore
- Suite managers have been asked to create a suite chore for sanitizing common surfaces
- The chore should be done on Wednesdays to complement weekend bathroom sanitation
- Checklists will be posted in each suite kitchen near the bulletin board / whiteboard
- This chore will count for a suite member’s weekly chore
- VP of suites will check with suite managers to make sure this chore is implemented
