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Preparedness Plan
January 01, 2022
Polk County Developmental Achievement Center COVID-19 Preparedness Plan 2020 (updated 1/17/22)
PURPOSE
The Polk County Developmental Achievement Center (herein after referred to as PCDAC) is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our staff and clients. To ensure we have as safe and healthy workplace, we have developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces and communities, which requires full cooperation among all staff and clients. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of all persons in our workplaces.
This Plan will be a living document, to be updated as often as new information regarding the Pandemic is released and policy updates are required. The Plan will attempt to capture specific actions, prevention plans and procedures that staff and clients must follow to deter the spread of COVID-19. PCDAC staff are responsible for assuring that they are familiar with the latest updates to the plan and that clients receiving services understand their role to the best of their abilities. We encourage staff and clients to ask questions, raise safety and health concerns and offer suggestions related to the plan and its implementation.
Individuals will be allowed entry to the PCDAC building, vehicle and community sites according to the following guidelines.
Transportation:
- Staff will wear a mask at all times while on DAC vehicles.
- Riders on DAC vehicles should wear a mask at all times (if tolerated per person).
- Residential settings should send appropriate face coverings each day. They should be cleaned daily and fit appropriately.
- Have one or less of the following symptoms: cold or flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, and headache, chills, and muscle pain, new loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. This list not all-inclusive, please refer to www.cdc.gov for up to date details and symptoms.
- Wash or Sanitize hands upon entering the building.
- No cell phones on a person, keep them locked up, in your vehicles or leave them home. Should a person check their phone during a break, sanitize the phone and wash hands before returning to work.
- No personal water bottles will be allowed, instead, water pitchers will be available for each classroom.
- Ice will not be available (to limit exposures).
- No personal bags or unnecessary items should enter our building.
Additional workforce management procedures shall include:
- Should a DAC employee choose not to be vaccinated, they are required to utilize/wear a mask at all times on or in DAC buildings or vehicles.
- Should someone have two or more symptoms, you should stay home.
- Masks should be worn at all community work sites.
Exposures
- A.) Individuals that have been exposed, who are fully vaccinated, but display no symptoms, do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. If able, test 5 days after the exposure.
- B.) Individuals that have been exposed, and are NOT fully vaccinated, and display no symptoms, should quarantine following an exposure for five days and should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. If able, test 5 days after the exposure.
- You do NOT need to test negative before returning to work as long as no symptoms and no fever in last 24 hours.
Positive for Covid
- If you test positive for Covid; stay home/quarantine for 5 days. (That means you do not go out)
- If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days (and no fever for 24-hours), you can return to work, but should wear a mask for an additional 5 days.
- Do you have to isolate or do you have to quarantine? The difference here is mainly semantics. You isolate yourself from others if you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 or if you’re experiencing symptoms. You quarantine yourself from others if you’ve been exposed to the virus but don’t know if you have it or not.
Hygiene/Housekeeping: The following processes will be implemented at the PCDAC:
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- Common areas will be cleaned and disinfected daily.
- Handwashing stations will be maintained with soap and paper towels and be touchless.
- Employees have been instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but especially at the beginning and end of their shift, prior to any mealtimes and after using the restroom. Posters demonstrating techniques have been posted in the bathrooms.
- Clients will be reminded and supervised when appropriate, to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water throughout the day, but especially upon at the beginning and end of the day, prior to any mealtimes, after using the restroom or cigarette break.
- Hand sanitizer will be available in each vehicle and will be provided to work crews when soap and water is not available.
- All individuals on site will be encouraged to participate in extra cleanings for frequently touched surfaces (light switches, tables, chairs, door handles, etc.)
- Respiratory Etiquette:
- Employees have been instructed to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose and eyes with their hands.
- Employees will remind individuals served to cover their mouths and nose with a tissue or their sleeve when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose and eyes with their hands. Clients that cough or sneeze into their hands will be directed to a sink and supervised as needed to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water as outlined above.
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