Dear Community Partner,
As the number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in Maryland rises, it is important that we work together to prevent further spread of this disease. You are a critical partner in this effort because of your role in serving some of our community’s most vulnerable populations. COVID-19 can be transmitted person-to-person, so it is important to take the following precautions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect those most at-risk, including adults over the age of 60 and those with chronic underlying medical conditions.
Please help us take action by following these recommendations and encouraging their widespread adoption within your community in order to make a real difference for our family, friends and neighbors. We have included with this letter printable signs reinforcing these recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that we recommend posting prominently in common areas.
General guidelines to protect yourself and others include:
· Practice social distancing by avoiding close contact and maintaining a distance
approximately 6 feet from other people.
· Stay home and do not gather in groups.
· Practice cough and sneeze etiquette – cover your mouth and nose with a disposable
tissue when you cough or sneeze.
· Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
· Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if you don’t
have soap and water.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Keeping surfaces clean can also lower the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. The CDC recommends daily cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces and objects. This includes items such as doorknobs, handrails, light switches, elevator buttons, tables, toilets and sinks.
· First, clean surface dirt off of objects using soap and water.
· Then, use a household disinfectant, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
· Approved disinfectants against COVID-19 include:
o Clorox Multi Surface Cleaner + Bleach
o Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
o Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox Disinfecting Spray
o Lysol brand Heavy-Duty Cleaner Disinfectant Concentrate
o Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist
o Lysol brand Clean & Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner
o Purell Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes
o Sani-Prime Germicidal Spray
During food distribution activities, staff and volunteers should model the above guidelines by practicing frequent handwashing, preventing hand-to-hand distribution of any bags or boxes, wiping down tables every 30 minutes, and encouraging social distancing by clearly marking 6-foot intervals in the queue for distribution. You can also take additional precautions within your facility, such as arranging sleeping areas to ensure plenty of space between beds, providing consistent bed assignments if possible, and placing beds head to toe. If possible, provide bags or bins for the storage of personal items to help stop the spread of disease.
This is a developing situation that is being actively monitored by UMMS clinical experts. However, as a community, we must adopt a proactive stance to keep ourselves and our neighborhoods safe and protect the most vulnerable among us. Encouraging the immediate adoption of best practices such as social distancing, proper hand hygiene, and consistent cleaning and disinfecting will help protect our communities against COVID-19.
Should you or your community members have any concerns about COVID-19, UMMS has established a free Nurse Call Line that is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week to answer questions from the community. You can reach the Nurse Call Line by calling 1888-713-0711.
Please visit the dedicated UMMS webpage for COVID-19 for additional resources. With your help, together we can prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Thank you,
The UMMS COVID-19 Incident Command Team