COVID-19 Organizational Response Plan Update

Tedford Housing continues to ensure the safety of our guests, tenants, outreach clients, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic by observing enhances health and wellness protocols at all of our facilities.

We will operate our Adult Shelter 24 hours a day through the State of Emergency to ensure our guests have a safe place be while the statewide stay-at-home order remains in place. The Adult Shelter will not close and guests will not be asked to leave during the daytime as is our typical protocol.

At our Adult Shelter, Family Shelter and supportive housing complexes, our guests and residents are asked to continue practicing extreme social distancing with a 6-foot minimum separation as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Case management for our guests and outreach clients will be handled remotely by staff as needed.

In an effort to ensure the safety of our guests, staff, and volunteers, Tedford Housing will continue the following additional protocols:

• All Tedford Housing offices, shelters, and supportive housing buildings will remain closed to the public.
• Only staff and guests will be permitted to enter the shelters without permission of the director of operations or executive director.
• Shelter guests with a fever or other symptoms will be referred for medical care, and must show clearance by a medical professional in order to reenter the shelter.
• Staff members who have a fever or other symptoms or who have a symptomatic member of their household will be referred for medical care. Staff must show clearance by a medical professional in order to return to work.
• Non-shelter staff will work remotely as necessary. Access by staff to multiple facilities will be limited.
• All staff will follow state protocols requiring the wearing of face coverings in public spaces where physical distancing is difficult to maintain when conducting official Tedford Housing business. Tedford Housing facilities are not public spaces.

During the time that Tedford Housing is exercising COVID-19 protocols in their shelters, the following steps will be taken when intakes are being conducted and specifically relate to the prevention of transmission of COVID-19. These steps are in addition to the standard intake procedures in place at the adult and family shelters.

Capacity: until further notice, the adult shelter capacity will not exceed 10 guests. The family shelter will continue to serve six families in individual apartments.

1. All persons seeking access will be asked screening questions at intake. These include:

• Have they had a new and worsening cough?
• Have they had a fever?
• Have they experienced a recent loss of taste or smell?
• In the last two weeks have they been exposed to or have been in close proximity to anybody that has tested positive for COVID-19?

For families seeking access these questions will apply to all family members seeking access.

Individuals or family members responding yes to any of the above questions will be referred for medical care, and must show clearance by a medical professional in order to reenter the shelter. Tedford Housing reserves the right to ask specifically that a person be tested for COVID-19 prior to being granted access to the shelter.

2. All persons seeking access will have their temperature taken before access is granted. Individuals or family members with a temperature above normal (98.6) will be referred for medical care, and must show clearance by a medical professional in order to reenter the shelter

Tedford Housing may opt to alter our shelter operations at any time. For additional information, contact Rota L. Knott, Executive Director.