From Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges website:
YMCA Coronavirus Update | NJ
By: Greg Albers | Monday, March 9, 2020 | Healthy Living
How to help prevent the spread of diseases.
With the news of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases in New Jersey and New York, we want to communicate what we are doing to keep you, our members, and the community healthy and safe.
As always, the health and safety of our staff, members and participants remain our top priority.
Like you, we have been following updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the State of New Jersey and local health departments. We are actively monitoring the situation and have developed action plans and specific efforts to maintain a healthy environment across all our YMCAs.
Currently, we have enhanced our cleaning protocols to give focused attention to all surfaces, equipment and common areas. We are actively reinforcing the preventative measures outlined by the CDC and ensuring that hand sanitizing stations and wipes to clean equipment continue to be available in all our facilities. We are reminding parents of our Program Illness Policy in child care and afterschool programs and are appropriately incorporating CDC preventative measures.
Maintaining a Healthy Environment
Health officials continue to advise us on the importance of being vigilant in our efforts to prevent the spread of illness. We can all immediately continue to support a healthy Y and community by following these common-sense precautions:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water, and for at least 20 seconds per hand.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Practice good cough and sneeze etiquette.
- Wipe down equipment and weights after use and be extra thorough.
- The ‘elbow bump’ is your new high-five if you see a friend at the Y.
- Stay home when you feel ill or have been exposed to the virus.
- If your child or another member of your household attends a school or organization that has closed due to possible exposure to the coronavirus, please have all family members refrain from visiting the Y until that organization re-opens.
- If you have recently traveled from a country that has been identified as a Level 3 Travel Health Notice, please refrain from visiting the Y and follow the CDC guidelines.
Should this issue escalate across the communities we serve, we will take the necessary precautions to ensure that you, along with our staff and participants, are safe.
You can find additional resources and information on the Coronavirus here:
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is providing regular updates and has information readily available about the virus.
- U.S. State Department issues advisories for travel.
- New Jersey Department of Public Health has statewide information and overviews of how NJ is handling the virus.
Thank you for working with us to ensure the health of your fellow members, our YMCA and the community. We look forward to seeing you soon.
