SPRINGSPIRIT RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS
We take the health and safety of our participants, families, stakeholders and partners very seriously. We take the health and safety of our participants and families very seriously. We are closely monitoring updates on the virus as well as recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), City of Houston Health Department, Harris County Public Health and Texas Department of State Health Services. We are also in close contact with Spring Branch Independent School District and monitoring what the surrounding school districts are doing to ensure we understand their policies and how our students might be affected. We have implemented a daily briefing for our risk management team to assess the evolving situation, and we will continue to update this page as necessary.
We have created the attached framework to help us react appropriately to the situation as it progresses. We are currently operating at Level 2.
We take the health and safety of our participants, families, stakeholders and partners very seriously. We take the health and safety of our participants and families very seriously. We are closely monitoring updates on the virus as well as recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), City of Houston Health Department, Harris County Public Health and Texas Department of State Health Services. We are also in close contact with Spring Branch Independent School District and monitoring what the surrounding school districts are doing to ensure we understand their policies and how our students might be affected. We have implemented a daily briefing for our risk management team to assess the evolving situation, and we will continue to update this page as necessary.
We have created the attached framework to help us react appropriately to the situation as it progresses. We are currently operating at Level 2.
We know that this raises a lot of questions, so we have attempted to answer some of the key points below.
QUESTIONS
1) Level 2 is defined as ‘cases identified in Spring Branch, but not in SS community’. What does that mean exactly? How are we defining Spring Branch?
We are defining the ‘SS community’ as a person or family member of a person who attends any of our programs OR a stakeholder/active partner of either the Pitner or Campbell Road locations. The wider Spring Branch community is defined as the neighborhoods or areas attending an SBISD school. We know that there has been a reported case of coronavirus at St. Cecilia, which is just south of I-10 between Bunker Hill and Echo Lane. We are treating this as the first case in the larger Spring Branch community.
2) Are there any identified cases of coronavirus in a SpringSpirit participant, family member, partner or stakeholder who has been at the facility in the last two weeks?
No, we have no reported cases of a coronavirus illness in any of our participants, families, partners or stakeholders. We are acting out of an abundance of caution at this time because we take the health of our community very seriously. We will continue to monitor CDC guidelines and adjust our policies as necessary.
3) What are the most important things that individuals can do to help us be responsive?
The single most important thing you can do is stay home if you feel ill, and make sure you call your doctor. Do not go to the hospital, urgent care office or doctor’s office without calling first. They will give you directions on what to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus.
Cancel any non-essential travel, especially international travel. If you have recently returned from a high-risk area, please self-quarantine yourself for a minimum of 14 days to avoid spreading the virus. While the virus can be mild in some individuals, it can be extremely dangerous for people over age 60, people with underlying health issues or compromised immune systems. An infected person is contagious before any symptoms appear, so please be thoughtful about who you might infect.
RELIABLE SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION
SpringSpirit continues to closely monitor information concerning coronavirus (COVID-19) and follow the guidance and expertise of the CDC, City of Houston Health Department, Harris County Public Health and Texas Department of State Health Services. Here are links to reliable sources for your reference.
PROGRAM CANCELLATIONS
We feel strongly that the right approach is to follow the CDC recommendations, which include not gathering in large groups, washing hands as often as possible, and staying home when ill. Given these guidelines, SpringSpirit has decided to cancel all programs effective immediately through Friday, March 20th. We will use this time to do a deep cleaning of the facilities, to implement a regular sanitization schedule, and to monitor relevant developments. We want to stress that we are doing this out of an abundance of caution. We have no reports of coronavirus in the immediate community, but we want to do our part in helping to restrict the spread of the illness. We hope to be back to normal operations soon, but will always put the health of our families, staff, volunteers and partners first.
QUESTIONS
1) Level 2 is defined as ‘cases identified in Spring Branch, but not in SS community’. What does that mean exactly? How are we defining Spring Branch?
We are defining the ‘SS community’ as a person or family member of a person who attends any of our programs OR a stakeholder/active partner of either the Pitner or Campbell Road locations. The wider Spring Branch community is defined as the neighborhoods or areas attending an SBISD school. We know that there has been a reported case of coronavirus at St. Cecilia, which is just south of I-10 between Bunker Hill and Echo Lane. We are treating this as the first case in the larger Spring Branch community.
2) Are there any identified cases of coronavirus in a SpringSpirit participant, family member, partner or stakeholder who has been at the facility in the last two weeks?
No, we have no reported cases of a coronavirus illness in any of our participants, families, partners or stakeholders. We are acting out of an abundance of caution at this time because we take the health of our community very seriously. We will continue to monitor CDC guidelines and adjust our policies as necessary.
3) What are the most important things that individuals can do to help us be responsive?
The single most important thing you can do is stay home if you feel ill, and make sure you call your doctor. Do not go to the hospital, urgent care office or doctor’s office without calling first. They will give you directions on what to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus.
Cancel any non-essential travel, especially international travel. If you have recently returned from a high-risk area, please self-quarantine yourself for a minimum of 14 days to avoid spreading the virus. While the virus can be mild in some individuals, it can be extremely dangerous for people over age 60, people with underlying health issues or compromised immune systems. An infected person is contagious before any symptoms appear, so please be thoughtful about who you might infect.
RELIABLE SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION
SpringSpirit continues to closely monitor information concerning coronavirus (COVID-19) and follow the guidance and expertise of the CDC, City of Houston Health Department, Harris County Public Health and Texas Department of State Health Services. Here are links to reliable sources for your reference.
- Houston Health Department
- Harris County Public Health
- Texas Department of State Health Services
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Health Organization
PROGRAM CANCELLATIONS
We feel strongly that the right approach is to follow the CDC recommendations, which include not gathering in large groups, washing hands as often as possible, and staying home when ill. Given these guidelines, SpringSpirit has decided to cancel all programs effective immediately through Friday, March 20th. We will use this time to do a deep cleaning of the facilities, to implement a regular sanitization schedule, and to monitor relevant developments. We want to stress that we are doing this out of an abundance of caution. We have no reports of coronavirus in the immediate community, but we want to do our part in helping to restrict the spread of the illness. We hope to be back to normal operations soon, but will always put the health of our families, staff, volunteers and partners first.
If you are not currently receiving texts from SpringSpirit and would like to receive updates on our plans, please subscribe by texting @SSPitner to 81010.
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We ask that you join us in praying for those affected by this situation. As always we choose to trust in our Lord during difficult times, and we believe in the power of prayer. We will be praying for all of our families, staff, partners and friends.
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."