Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota’s COVID-19 Exposure Response Procedure:
We are in the midst of an unprecedented, worldwide pandemic, but it helps to know that we are all in this together. Although Boys & Girls Club staff are taking every single possible precaution to prevent the spread of this virus, we know that we will be directly impacted by it at some point. Therefore, we continue to put plans and procedures in place to minimize the impact and to be able to continue to provide the quality programs and services your family needs.
We are in continuous communication and consultation with medical leaders, both locally and at the state level, to ensure we are providing the safest possible environment for everyone. If/when a child or adult demonstrates any COVID-19 relates symptoms, we notify our Public Health Nurse, who then works with the individual/family and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). If an individual receives a positive confirmation of the virus, MDH immediately takes the lead in all communication, including when and what is communicated to staff and families, as well as dictates the corresponding response, including the potential temporary closing of a site.
Per the recommendation of MDH: If there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 and the exposure of the diagnosed case is deemed low by MDH, parents will not be provided notification. If the exposure of the diagnosed case is deemed high by MDH, parents of the affected site will be notified as dictated by MDH with the appropriate next steps. Please refer to the MDH COVID-19 decision tree for people in schools, youth and child care programs if you have questions about when to return to these programs. Note: Due to our screening equipment, Boys & Girls Club’s temperature checks require a temperature of lower than 99.5 to remain in our programs.
The following precautions are currently being taken to prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19 in all Boys & Girls Club programs:
- Temperature checks: Temperatures will be taken of all children and adults before entry into the program. Please make sure you do not have anything to drink for at least 15 minutes before check in (even at room temperature) to ensure an accurate reading at temperature check. If a child or adult has a fever of 99.5 or higher, we will send them home right away. If temperature is lower than 99.5, the child or adult will proceed to respiratory screening.
- Health screenings: Staff will ask if the child/adult, or anyone in their household, has any of the following symptoms: *** New symptoms have been added by the CDC: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle aches, new loss of smell/taste, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea. If the answer is no, the child/adult may proceed to childcare area. If the answer is yes, staff will send the child/siblings/adult home right away for a minimum of 10 days. The child(ren)/adult must be symptom-free without the aid of medication for three days before returning to the care site.
- Afternoon temperature checks and health screenings: Temperature checks and health screenings will be repeated on all children and adults in our program between 1 and 2 p.m. each afternoon. If the child has a fever of 99.5 degrees or higher, the parent will be called and asked to pick up their child right away. Furthermore, the child will be placed in a sick room, away from other children until they are picked up. Adults will be required to leave the program immediately.
- Small groups: All programming takes place in a 15:1 youth to staff ratios or smaller.
- Masks for youth: Per updated guidance from our local school districts, masks are required for youth in Dist. 742 and Sartell-St. Stephen buildings. They are encouraged in the Sauk Rapids-Rice school buildings. Boys & Girls Club will follow Dist. 742 guidance in all Boys & Girls Club buildings and will require masks for all youth at the Clubs
- Masks are required for staff: Per updated guidance from the CDC, starting August 9th, 2021, masks will once again be required for all Boys & Girls Club staff.
- Hand-washing takes place every 45 minutes during programming.
- Sanitizing and disinfecting: All shared program spaces are being washed, disinfected and sanitized hourly and a full sanitizing takes place at the end of each program day.
Even though all safety precautions and practices are being implemented as recommended by the CDC, we cannot guarantee there will not be exposure to parents/guardians, staff, youth or others engaging in Boys & Girls Club programs.