The NCCI office is open to the public on a limited basis and by appointment only. COVID-19 screening and face coverings are required. Bathrooms will not be available to the public. This is our reopening plan, approved by the NCCI Board of Directors:
Name of Business: North Country Center for Independence
Address: 80 Sharron Evenue, Plattsburgh, NY 12903
Contact: 518-563-9058 (phone), 518-563-0292 (fax) www.nccci-online.com
Executive Director: Robert Poulin
Covid-19 Safety Officer: Pam Moser
I. Office Protocols
Physical Distancing:
1. NCCI will always require staff and visitors to maintain a 6 ft. distance between each other.
2. Tightly confined spaces will be occupied by only one individual at a time.
3. NCCI will post social distancing markers using tape or signs that denote 6 ft. of spacing in commonly used and other applicable areas on the site.
4. NCCI will limit in-person gatherings as much as possible and use tele-or video conference as an alternative. Essential in-person gatherings (e.g. meetings) should be held in open, well-ventilated spaces with appropriate social distancing and all participants wearing face coverings. All face-to-face meetings must be approved by the executive/assistant director. All participants must be screened as outlined below before the meeting.
5. All NCCI staff and visitors will be required to wear face coverings in all public areas of the office. Staff may only remove their masks while in their own offices and must have the door closed if they are working without a mask.
6. If a staff members duties and assignment allow them to work effectively from home, they will be encouraged to work remotely.
II. Personal Protective Equipment
A. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): To ensure employees comply with protective equipment requirements, NCCI agrees to do the following:
1. NCCI will provide employees with a CDC recommended face covering at no cost to employees.
2. NCCI will maintain an adequate supply of coverings in case of replacement needs.
3. NCCI will provide each employee with 4 CDC recommended washable face masks and additional disposable masks to give to visitors.
4. Face coverings must be cleaned or replaced after use or when damaged or soiled, may not be shared, and should be properly stored or discarded.
5. Staff will be required to review approved PPE training videos on proper use of personal protective equipment.
6. Employees will limit the sharing of objects and discourage touching of shared surfaces; or, when in contact with shared objects or frequently touched areas, wear gloves and will sanitize/wash hands and objects before and after use.
a. Shared printers will be sanitized regularly with approved disinfecting wipes.
b. Door handles, knobs, faucets, and other shared surfaces will be disinfected regularly.
B. Hygiene and Cleaning: To ensure employees comply with hygiene and cleaning requirements NCCI agrees to do the following:
1. Adhere to hygiene and sanitation requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain cleaning logs on site that document the date, time, and scope of cleaning. The Sanitation Log will be maintained by staff in the office and all employees will share equally in the responsibilities of both sanitizing and recording the sanitation log. The Log will be kept next to the main copier.
2. NCCI will provide and maintain hand hygiene stations for personnel, including handwashing with soap, water and paper towels or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing 60% or more alcohol for areas where hand washing is not feasible.
3. NCCI will provide mobile “sanitation stations” for employees who work in the field with consumers. The stations will include plastic totes, sanitized cloths/wipes, bleach solution or other disinfectants, and will be used to disinfect all equipment that is passed between employees and participants before, during, and after appointments.
4. NCCI employees in all locations will conduct regular cleaning and disinfection at least daily, or more frequently as needed and frequent cleaning of shared objects and surfaces, as well as high transit areas, such as restrooms and common areas must be completed.
5. NCCI’s staff Janitor will thoroughly clean/disinfect the office twice a week.
6. NCCI will provide cleaning supplies recommended by the DOH and CDC as well as the safety data sheets for those products identified as effective against COVID-19.
C. Communication: To ensure the business and its employees comply with communication requirements, NCCI agrees to do the following:
1. Post signage throughout the site to remind personnel to adhere to proper hygiene, social distancing rules, appropriate use of PPE, and cleaning and disinfecting protocols.
2. Establish a communication plan for employees, visitors, and consumers with a consistent means to provide updated information.
3. Maintain a continuous log of every person, including staff and visitors, who enter the building. The log will include full name and a contact number. The log will be kept confidential and used only if requested by government assigned contact tracers.
4. NCCI staff working in the field must maintain a log of the places they have been and when possible names and numbers of people they come in contact with.
5. If a worker tests positive for COVID-19, NCCI must immediately notify state and local health departments and cooperate with contact tracing efforts, including notification of potential contacts, such as all staff and visitors who had close contact with the individual, while maintaining confidentiality required by state and federal law and regulations. The Executive/Assistant Director will be responsible for notifying state and local health departments.
6. Visitors, such as delivery drivers, who are wearing proper PPE and are in the building for less than 5 minutes, do not need to be logged by name or screened.
III. Screening Protocol:
A. Screening: To ensure the business and its employees comply with health requirements NCCI agrees to do the following:
1. Implement mandatory health screening assessments (e.g. questionnaire and temperature checks) before employees begin work each day and for visitors. The Questionnaire shall ask about (1) COVID-19 Symptoms in the past 14 days, (2) positive COVID-19 test in past 14 days, and/or (3) close contact with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case in past 14 days. Assessment responses must be reviewed every day and such review must be documented in case notes.
2. Field staff will contact each consumer via telephone prior to leaving for the appointment to perform the screening. Employees will be provided with a screening/assessment recommended by the DOH/CDC.
3. To protect essential office staff, staff who conduct home visits or enter a nursing facility and or congregate home in the course of their field work, will not be permitted in the office for 14 days. Field workers are cleared to work from home and will be provided with all of the tools necessary to work remotely.
B. Contact tracing and disinfection of contaminated areas: To ensure the business and its employees comply with contact tracing and disinfection requirements, NCCI agrees to do the following:
1. Have a plan for cleaning, disinfection, and contact tracing in the event of a positive case. In the event of an employee testing positive for COVID-19, NCCI will disinfect the workplace using a product approved by the DOH/CDC that is effective for COVID-19. These cleaning products will be procured from NYSPSP if possible and kept on site for use as needed.
2. If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, NCCI’s Executive/Assistant Director will request the employee’s logbook to help contact tracers identify those who were in contact with the employee. NCCI will report the information to the state and local Departments of Health.
IV. Office Capacity and Protocols
A. Capacity
1. There shall only be 6 employees in the office at any given time. This is 37% of total office capacity.
2. Only 2 visitors may be admitted to the office at one time. This will raise the office to 50% capacity.
3. Visitors, including delivery drivers will be directed to the outside door of the conference room where they will undergo required screening before being admitted (delivery drivers do not need to be screened as long as they are using proper PPE).
4. Visitors will not be allowed beyond the conference room for any reasons. Bathrooms are closed to the public and may only be used by staff.
5. All incoming visitors must wear masks. If a visitor does not have a mask, a disposable mask will be available in the conference room. Anyone refusing to wear a mask may not enter the building. If someone is unable to wear a mask for health reason, this requirement may be waved by the executive/assistant director. In such an event, staff working with that induvial should also wear a face shield, provided by NCCI, foor additional protection.
6. All tables, chairs, and items must be disinfected after a visitor leaves the building. A log will be kept with information about each visit and confirmation of the room being disinfected.
7. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning, the office will be reserved for CDPAP and admin staff only. A sign up list for office hours will be maintained on Teams for staff wanting office hours on Wednesday afternoon, Thursday, and Friday. Staff who are able to work remotely without compromising their effectiveness are encouraged to do so.
B. Bathrooms and Kitchen
1. The bathroom closest to the front lobby will be designated as bathroom A and the rear washroom will be bathroom B. Each day staff will be assigned a bathroom that they must use the rest of the day.
2. Staff must wipe down all surfaces that they touched while in the bathroom after every use.
3. A log will be kept by the printer that must be checked off after every wipe down of a bathroom.
4. Staff must also wipe down touched surfaces in the kitchen after every use. They must note that surfaces in the kitchen have been cleaned in a log book kept by the printer, after every use.
V. Reopening Timeline
1. As a “Phase Two” industry, NCCI is exercising abundant caution and plans to reopen its office on a limited basis during the first week of August if Covid-19 cases remain low in the community. NCCI has continued to provide services throughout the pandemic and is well positioned to maintain a low risk profile. As an agency that employs and serves people with disabilities, it is critical that NCCI continues to limit the chance of exposure and spread throughout the disability community. This plan is intended to remain in affect until the threat of Covid 19 has been substantially reduced (a vaccine is widely available). In the event of a community outbreak and government ordered shutdown, NCCI would return to a strict remote work policy with only ‘essential staff’ allowed to access the office building.
2. NCCI will continue to consult the NY Forward website at https://forward.ny.gov/ and applicable Executive Orders at https://www.governor.ny.gov/executiveorders on a periodic basis or whenever notified of the availability of new guidance.