Dear Families and Staff,

As always, we hope this email finds you safe and well. We are reaching out with an important COVID-19 status update. Over the past week, our family of organizations have experienced an uptick in exposures and positive cases. We are closely monitoring this situation and would like to share with you what we’ve learned.

As we analyzed the details of each case, it is apparent that some cases originated in family homes. A family member tested positive, and subsequently his/her loved one, who we support, was diagnosed. Before diagnosis, he/she had already engaged with others in our program. Another example is a person supported returned to the residence after a lengthy home visit. He/she tested positive shortly after resuming activities at his/her residence. Finally, a staff member tested positive, only to find out in contact tracing that three people supported in the residence were also positive.

We must remain active and engaged partners in our mitigation strategies for this virus. We know as restrictions begin to ease the importance of re-connecting with family and friends. Relationships are the cornerstone of our family of organizations. Yet, people with developmental disabilities are a higher-risk group for COVID than the general population.

We need your help to minimize the risk of COVID within our community. Please:

• Remain vigilant regarding social distancing during visits with friends and family.
• Limit visits to people you know have not been to high-risk areas or large group events.
• Continue wearing a mask in public and washing/sanitizing your hands after visits to public venues.
• Focus on your health and make sure you are staying well for yourself and your loved ones.
• Remember Facetime and other options are always available if you want to connect with your loved one.

Keep in mind that a positive diagnosis of Covid-19 in any group home, quarantines the entire house. No individuals will be allowed to leave and no visits can occur, until the last person in the home completes quarantine.

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. Now more than ever before, our personal choices have the potential to impact our entire community. Please be responsible. Your support is appreciated, as we work together through these unprecedented times.

Sincerely,

Stanfort J. Perry
Executive Director