Written by Rota L. Knott, Executive Director for Tedford Housing. Effective August 6, 2021.
Tedford Housing is retaining its COVID-19 protocols to ensure the continued health, safety, and
welfare of our guests, tenants, outreach clients, and staff during the pandemic. These protocols remain
applicable at all Tedford Housing facilities.
Effective immediately Tedford Housing has updated its COVID-19 safety protocols:
• Even if fully vaccinated, as per CDC guidelines, all staff and guests should also continue to wear
masks in both the Adult and Family homeless shelters.
• 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.
• 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 regarding 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.
• Outreach clients will wear a face covering at all times during both on-site and off-site
appointments. Staff can provide face coverings for clients as necessary. 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 indoor on-site volunteer
activity. Outdoor volunteer activities will follow CDC capacity recommendations.
• Only staff, guests, and approved service providers will be permitted to enter the shelters without
permission of the director of operations or executive director. Visitors at all Tedford Housing
facilities will be required to wear a mask to gain entry.
• Shelter guests with a fever or other symptoms COVID-19 symptoms as outlined by the CDC 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.
Beginning Aug. 1, 2021, the adult shelter capacity will not exceed 12 guests. The family shelter
will continue to serve six families in individual apartments.
- All persons seeking shelter access will be asked to present a negative COVID-19 test within
72 hours of intake. - All persons seeking access will be asked screening questions at intake. These include:
• Have they had a fever?
• Have they had a new and worsening cough?
• 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. - 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. 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 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.
