Safety Reset: Staying safe during breaks and meals
Infection rates of COVID-19 are rising while the outdoor temperatures drop. As the prospect of heading outside for meals becomes less practical, it’s critically important that staff social distance while dining or taking a break. When masks are down, risk goes up.
Recently, a half-dozen employees were in a breakroom together, sitting close to one another and not wearing masks. While it wasn’t apparent to anyone at the time, one of those gathered was infectious with COVID-19. The employee didn’t develop symptoms until the next day. The five colleagues who were in the breakroom with the contagious employee are undergoing testing. This is one of many examples of preventable exposures that have occurred at Hershey Medical Center.
In addition to incidences of staff not social distancing while on break, there also have been reports of family members coming into a Penn State Health facility to have coffee or lunch with an employee. Only patients are permitted to have a family member or support person visit.
The pandemic is not going away anytime soon.
Please continue to:
- Maintain distance from others when dining. This is critically important. When masks are down, risk goes up. As soon as possible, re-apply masks.
- Follow the social distancing signs placed around our work environment, including roped-off seating in eating areas and capacity limits for elevators and meeting rooms.
- Not invite family or friends to visit the workplace. The only visitors allowed are designated family/support persons of patients.
- Maintain precautions outside of the workplace, avoiding restaurants, bars and social gatherings.
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