[NFBWV-Talk] [External] Fwd: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] COVID-19 Guidance for Federation Leaders (please share with affiliate boards and chapter presidents)

Thu Mar 12 13:21:54 UTC 2020

All of this sounds like very good and sound advice.

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBWV-Talk <nfbwv-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sheri Koch via NFBWV-Talk
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2020 8:54 PM
To: NFB of West Virginia Discussion List <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Sheri Koch <skochnfbwv at gmail.com>
Subject: [External] [NFBWV-Talk] Fwd: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] COVID-19 Guidance for Federation Leaders (please share with affiliate boards and chapter presidents)

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify sender.

Hi everyone

Below is the email from President Riccobono regarding attending NFB functions. Please know that our top priority is to keep us safe and well.
At this juncture, I will monitor all directives applicable to West Virginia, Virginia, and Texas and we will make decisions accordingly.  At this point, I am still looking at conducting BELL,  attending National convention, and conducting our state convention. However this could change as a situation worsens.  Again, our primary concern is to keep us safe and well.  I want anyone planning to attend any of these events to take their own health risk and risk to your family very seriously.  I will make Zoom available to any chapter who wishes to hold a chapter meeting via zoom platform rather than face-to-face to minimize risk.

If you have any questions as we move forward, please feel free to let me know.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: President, National Federation of the Blind via State-Affiliate-Leadership-List <state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Wed, Mar 11, 2020 at 7:45 PM
Subject: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] COVID-19 Guidance for Federation Leaders (please share with affiliate boards and chapter presidents)
To: State Affiliate Leadership List <
state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org>
CC: President, National Federation of the Blind < OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>

National Federation of the Blind Response to COVID-19

The news has been dominated lately by information about the COVID-19 outbreak. This message will share what the National Federation of the Blind is doing and recommending. Please know that this is a topic that the leadership group continues to monitor and discuss on a daily basis. The health and safety of all of our members, staff, and friends is always our top priority.

Attending a Federation event is a personal decision to be made based upon your current health status and, when appropriate, in consultation with medical professionals. For the latest facts about the virus, we encourage accessing reliable information from sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO) <https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019> or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html> Users of NFB-NEWSLINE® can also access the latest information in the breaking news section.
  National Convention and National Headquarters

The 2020 NFB National Convention is taking place July 14-19 in Houston, Texas, as planned. At this time we do not believe there is a need to alter plans for our annual meeting. We will continue to evaluate the situation and the needs of attendees. We will update the national convention webpage ( nfb.org/convention <https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention>)
regarding the status of the event and any related precautions to be taken.

At our national headquarters, the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, we are taking extra precautions and implementing sanitation and safety measures to keep our members, visitors, and staff safe. We are evaluating our planned meetings and tours and will communicate with participants regarding the status of previously planned events. While we have postponed certain large-scale national meetings, we continue to host a number of smaller meetings where the risk factors are low. These factors are being constantly reviewed.
  Large State Meetings and Conventions

Based on current information, the national leadership recommends that state conventions or other events should be continued as appropriate while monitoring local conditions and directives. Affiliate leadership should monitor and follow any directives or guidelines issued by public health officials in your state or area that are specific to outbreaks there. The local circumstances should be the strongest guide for adjusting statewide meetings. State leaders are asked to coordinate their plans with the President of the Federation so assistance can be provided and clear lines of communication can be maintained across the nation.

   - If an event is proceeding, take appropriate precautions and let
   members know about the details of those precautions or updated information.
   Please review the general guidance for executing meetings during COVID-19
   offered below.
   - If an event is cancelled, appropriate messaging should be distributed
   through all relevant channels.

  Local Chapter Meetings and Events

Like state meetings, our current recommendation is that local leadership should continue activities as appropriate while monitoring local conditions and directives. Local chapter meeting changes should be coordinated with the affiliate president.

·         Communicate to members that they should decide their level of
participation based on their own health and safety. Be sure to utilize the general guidance for executing meetings found below.

·         Local chapters should communicate with meeting locations to
understand what precautions those facilities are taking to support hosted meetings.

·         Chapter leaders may want to secure supplies to assist members in
keeping the meeting environment as free of germs as possible.

·         Local leaders should ensure that clear communication plans exist
for sharing updated information to members.

·         For meetings of small chapters or of chapter or division boards,
leaders might consider using a service like Zoom or FreeConferenceCall.com to conduct virtual meetings as a temporary measure if local circumstances do not permit public meetings.

General Guidance for Executing Meetings

The most important prophylactic step that Federation members can take is to encourage those who are exhibiting any type of symptoms related to a respiratory illness to refrain from attending any organizational events. If someone has been exposed to the virus in any way, that person should stay away from Federation events as well. Additionally, those who are in high-risk groups should consult with their medical professionals and consider staying at home. At Federation events, it is critical that everyone practice the highest level of hygiene.

·         We should refrain from handshakes or physical contact like hugs,
etc.

·         Hands should be washed frequently and/or hand sanitizer should be
used liberally.

·         It should be recognized that serving food at Federation meetings
is a potential exposure point. We recommend considering eliminating food at Federation events during the current circumstances. However, if food is to be served extra attention should be given to best practices for serving food and keeping surfaces clean. Specifically, anyone serving food should wear gloves, and before serving, hands, serving surfaces, and serving instruments should be sanitized.

Again, we will continue to monitor all aspects of this situation as they develop, focusing first and foremost on the health and safety of everyone in our Federation family. I wish you, your families, and your colleagues the best as we address these challenges.

Warmly,

Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind

Mark A. Riccobono, President

200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/200+East+Wells+Street,+Baltimore,+MD+21230?entry=gmail&source=g>

(410) 659-9314 | Officeofthepresident at nfb.org

Twitter: @Riccobono

[image: National Federation of the Blind] <https://nfb.org/>

                         [image: Facebook]
<http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>    [image: Twitter]
<https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice>    [image: Youtube]
<https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind>

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

_______________________________________________
State-Affiliate-Leadership-List mailing list State-Affiliate-Leadership-List at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/state-affiliate-leadership-list_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
State-Affiliate-Leadership-List:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/state-affiliate-leadership-list_nfbnet.org/skochnfbwv%40gmail.com
--
Sheri Koch, President
National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia
304-993-5103
_______________________________________________
NFBWV-Talk mailing list
NFBWV-Talk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwv-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBWV-Talk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwv-talk_nfbnet.org/charlene.r.smyth%40wv.gov
This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the individuals or entities originally addressed, and may contain confidential and privileged information protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution, copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of this email is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copy or printout.