COVID-19 Information Update
Hello Gray Citizens,
I am the Town of Gray Health Officer and want to share this information and the letter from the Governor, regarding COVID-19 below.
We want to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible. I am recommending that all of us follow the CDC recommendations as written. Hand washing is still the best deterrent to spreading or contracting viruses. You should also wipe or spray counters or public contact areas. If you are immune comprised, you should consider wearing gloves.
The flu is still the most likely virus that you will encounter. All of the recommendations for COVID-19 will also help inhibit the spread of everything else that we encounter in our daily lives.
Good health to all and be safe.
Tom Reinsborough
CEO / LPI /HO
Town of Gray
207-657-3112
Letter from Governor Mills
Dear Friend,
As a State of Maine employee, you know that all Maine residents depend on us to deliver vital services around the clock, every day of the year – through winter storms, natural disasters, and yes, disease outbreaks. Fortunately, we have seasoned professionals across our agencies, including health experts and providers, who have risen to the challenge to prepare for and respond to diseases like Ebola, H1N1 influenza, and the West Nile Virus. I know they will do so again.
With federal public health officials informing us that the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is likely to spread further in the United States, I thought it was important to reach out directly to you with information. The Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Nirav Shah, continues to report that the risk to Maine residents remains low. The latest information on COVID-19 in Maine can be found here.
However, with the spread of coronavirus possible, we are working diligently to ensure that we are prepared. Maine CDC has dedicated dozens of staff to work on coronavirus preparedness and response. Our efforts so far include:
- adjusting emergency response protocols to adapt to COVID-19;
- hosting educational webinars for clinicians, infection control staff, and other health care professionals;
- 24-7 consultations with partners such as schools and public health departments to ensure they have information and resources;
- working closely with Maine’s health care systems as they scale up preparedness efforts;
- communicating closely with school officials including recommending that they convene their school safety teams to review and update their Emergency Operations Plans responsive to pandemic flu and reminding schools that their plans should also include provisions to ensure continuity of education in the unlikely event of a closure;
- ensuring that potential cases will be rapidly identified and investigated and that isolation procedures are in place, if needed;
- increasing supplies of personal protective equipment for health care workers and first responders; and
- updating lab equipment to enable testing for the coronavirus and engaging public health nurses as part of our emergency preparedness team, among other measures.
Earlier this week, I also convened the Coronavirus Response Team. Under the leadership of Maine CDC, departments are reviewing Maine State Government readiness plans and coordinating with local agencies, health authorities, and other partners to respond to the potential spread of COVID-19. Our State agency leaders have been and will continue to be in constant communication regarding preparedness for any potential coronavirus cases in our State.
So, what can you do? Maine CDC continues to urge all Maine residents to take precautions and follow guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC). That means taking the following steps to ensure you and your family are prepared:
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid shaking hands as a greeting.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Taking these simple yet important steps will help protect you, your family, your neighbors, and your co-workers.
As you know, this is a quickly evolving situation which can lead to misinformation and concern. While it is natural to be concerned, I encourage you to seek information from credible sources, such as the Maine CDC and U.S. CDC. If you are considering booking, or have upcoming travel planned, I encourage you to view the U.S. CDC’s travel guidance. Preparing with facts and science, proven public health measures, and commonsense precautions in our personal lives are the best measures we can take to protect both the people we serve at work and our friends and families at home.
Additionally, I have asked the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to evaluate from an HR perspective potential impacts on State government operations and State employees. We will be in touch with you to provide more information as it becomes available.
As always, thank you for your work on behalf of the people of our great State. It is my honor to work with you.
Sincerely,
Janet T. Mills
Governor
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Additional Resources: