HomeMy Public PortalAboutLTC 033-2020 Bal Harbour Village Response to Coronavirus COVID-19BAL HARBOUR
- VILLAGE -
OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER LETTER TO COUNCIL
NO. 033-2020
TO: Mayor Gabriel Groisman and Members of the Village Council
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Mana
DATE: February 28, 2020
SUBJECT: Bal Harbour Village Response to Coronavirus COVID-1 9
This Lettertothe Council is intended to inform the Bal Harbour Village Council, employees,
and residents of the precautionary measures to be taken by the Administration to
effectively respond to the impact of the Coronavirus Covid-19.
According to the Center for Disease Control, (CDC) the Coronavirus COVID-19 is a
respiratory illness that can spread from person to person and is a rapidly evolving situation.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that was first identified during an
investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Patients with this virus have reportedly
had mild to severe respiratory illness. Symptoms can include fever, cough, and shortness
of breath and may appear 2-14 days after exposure. In some cases, the virus has caused
deaths.
On January 31, 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public
health emergency for the United States to aid the nation's healthcare community in
responding to COVID-19. As of this writing, there has been only one reported case of
coronavirus in the US. This case has been reported in northern California, and attributed
to local community spread. This case is apparently not related directly to the significant
number of cases in China, Italy, South Korea, Iran and Japan. To date, there are no cases
reported in the state of Florida.
Widespread transmission of the virus would translate into large numbers of people
needing medical care at the same time, overwhelming hospitals and clinics. Currently,
there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it.
In addition, there is no data relative to how long a recovery might take. Other critical
infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services and transportation
industry will be impacted.
The CDC has recommended the following interim guidance or measures to help prevent
Page 2 of 3
LTC — Coronavirus
workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including the COVID-19, in non -health
care settings. This guidance also involves planning considerations if there are more
widespread community outbreaks of COVID-19. The following recommended strategies
are for employers to use now, including Bal Harbour Village Department Directors,
supervisors, employees as well as Village residents and private employers:
• Actively encourage sick employees to stay home. Employees who have symptoms
of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not come to work
until they have no fever.
• Separate sick employees. CDC recommends that employees who appear to have
acute respiratory illness symptoms (i.e. cough shortness of breath) upon arrival to
work or become sick during the day should be separated from other employees
and be sent home immediately. Sick employees should cover their noses and
mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Emphasize respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene by all employees. Place posters
that encourage hand hygiene at the entrance to the workplace and other places
where employees are likely to frequent. Provide tissues and no -touch disposal
receptacles for use by employees and visitors. Instruct employees to clean their
hands often with an alcohol -based hand sanitizer or wash their hands with soap and
water for at least 20 seconds.
• Perform routine environmental cleaning. Routinely clean all frequently touched
surfaces in the workplace such as work stations, countertops and doorknobs with
cleaning agents, and disposable wipes.
• Additional measures in response to currently occurring sporadic importations of
COVID-19: Employees who are well, but who have a sick family member at home
with COVID-19, should notify their supervisor and refer to CDC guidance for risk
assessment of their potential exposure. If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-
19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure in the
workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Employers should prepare for possible increased numbers
of employee absences due to this viruses' negative impact on family members,
potential dismissal of early childhood programs and K-12 schools as a
precautionary measure to curb the spread of the disease.
The severity of the COVID-19 is unknown at this time. If there is evidence of a COVID-
19 outbreak in South Florida, employers, including Department Directors, should plan
to respond in a flexible way to varying levels of severity and be prepared to refine their
response plans as needed. At this time, the CDC is advising that the immediate health
risk for those not in a healthcare setting is considered low. The CDC is advising that
some employees may be at higher risk for severe illness, such as older adults and those
with chronic medical conditions.
As Manager, with the assistance of my Department Directors and their staff, we will take
every measure, action and precaution possible to prevent the spread of this virus. We
Page 3 of 3
LTC — Coronavirus
will continue to monitor and adhere to the recommendations of the CDC, State of
Florida Department of Health, the Miami -Dade County Department of Health, and
other concerned officials and organizations. The Village remains in contact with the
Miami -Dade County Emergency Operations Center, and will relay any pertinent
information with the Council and the community as necessary.
JMG/RMF/ME/MG/DM