Written by Rota Knott, Executive Director for Tedford Housing. Effective November 6th, 2020.

Tedford Housing is enhancing its COVID-19 protocols to ensure the continued health, safety, and welfare of our guests, tenants, outreach clients, and staff during the pandemic. These new protocols are applicable at all Tedford Housing facilities.

Effective immediately Tedford Housing has implemented the following COVID-19 safety protocols:

• Staff will wear a face covering when at work in all common spaces at all Tedford Housing facilities. Face coverings are not required when working alone in a private office or similar space.
• Staff will follow state protocols that require the wearing of face coverings in all public spaces, both indoor and outdoor, in Maine when conducting official Tedford Housing business. This includes when participating in off-site client outreach or other professional meetings.
• Guests at the Adult Shelter will wear a face covering in all indoor and outdoor common areas, except when eating or in the designated outdoor smoking area.
• Guests at the Family Shelter will wear a face covering in all indoor and outdoor common areas, except when in the designated outdoor smoking area. Guests are not required to wear face coverings in their individual units.
• Outreach clients will wear a face covering at all times during both on-site and off-site appointments. On-site appointments with outreach clients with be limited to a maximum of four members of a single household.
• All Tedford Housing offices, shelters, and supportive housing buildings will remain closed to the general public. Volunteers will be limited to a maximum of four per on-site volunteer activity.
• 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 a negative Covid-19 test with 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 a negative COVID-19 test with clearance by a medical professional in order to return to work.
• Non-shelter staff will work remotely as necessary and approved by their immediate supervisor. Access by staff to multiple facilities will be limited.

During the time that Tedford Housing is exercising COVID-19 protocols in our 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.

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 shelter access will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of intake.

2. 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 a negative COVID-19 test with clearance by a medical professional in order to reenter the shelter.

3. 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 a negative COVID-19 test with clearance by a medical professional in order to reenter the shelter.

Tedford Housing will continue to operate our Adult Shelter 24 hours a day to ensure our guests have a safe place be while the statewide State of Emergency 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.

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

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