The Big Sur Health Center is committed to keeping the Big Sur community safe, especially during these challenging times with the COVID-19 crisis.
Now that the virus has been identified in Big Sur, we have received several reports of unkind behavior when someone has become infected. It is natural to feel some anxiety, but there is no need for panic.
It has been reported that employees are angry that the employer won’t reveal who the positive person is and they are afraid they might have been infected. This is a natural reaction when facing the unknown that holds such significant consequences.
At the health center, we have stressed to each concerned person that the businesses are taking all recommended precautions and following appropriate protocols to ensure everyone’s safety.
We are asking the business community to help us disseminate this information and help quell the panic that seems to be growing. We know you are required to send a notice to all employees as soon as someone has been identified as positive and we would like to suggest that the notice include the following:
1) Acknowledge that you are required to send a notice to ALL employees whether or not they are at risk for close contact.
2) State that you are REQUIRED to withhold the name of the infected person to protect their privacy.
3) Advise that all persons that meet the threshold for close contact have been identified, sent for testing, and told they must quarantine. If you were NOT notified that you are a contact, you most likely are not at risk and do not need to be concerned.
4) Include some statement emphasizing that the positive person is not at fault. Contacts should be advised to adhere to the policy of protecting privacy. The infected person is already stressed with their own uncertain outcome and deserve to be treated with respect, kindness and understanding.
Big Sur has always risen to the occasion during a crisis and gone way beyond the call of duty to help neighbors. This should be no different. We are in this together.
http://bigsurhealthcenter.org
My heart goes out to the employees testing positive for Covid-19. “businesses are taking all recommended precautions and following appropriate protocols to ensure everyone’s safety.” In Big Sur, we are unique in that for many, their housing is tied to their workplace. I am curious if the appropriate protocols to ensure everyone’s safety take into account those who live at their workplace. I can understand why people may feel panic- and may feel trapped- either continue working a job while risking your health or lose your housing. Kindness, empathy and ethics are needed during these challenging times.
Well said. We are all living in difficult and challenging times, and kindness, empathy and ethics will go a long way to help us all get through this together, as a community and as a planet.
True That Kate. And for an insider view, google local business Trip Advisor and Yelp reviews….and the photos…very informative. I did so a few hours ago….I am disheartened- Ethics, Empathy, Kindness- my heart goes out to those being diagnosed with Covid-19, and who are in a rock and a hard place with housing/work/and working in the realm of non-essential services during a global pandemic. We as a community can and must do better.
Everyone please stand strong and go deep within your heart because without a sense of caring there can be no sense of community❤️🌎.
We can innovate new ways of creating financial flow during this global pandemic- continuing to use the old model of business during a global pandemic is fruitless- we are a community of incredible talent. innovation and resiliency- there is no reason we should further expose our community to Covid-19 – providing non-essential services to the masses traveling here from all over the nation and the world- creativity wins the day as does making the health and safety of our community Our Collective #1 priority- We Can Do Well by Doing Good ~ Rise Above.
I will share something that was sent to me:
I’d like to share our experience for the benefit of your community.
We arrived on Monday and stayed at one of the private campground cabins. All employees wore masks and asked the campers and cabin guests to wear masks outside of the cabins and outside of their campsite area. Compliance was excellent.
However, the proprietor did warn us that Another Campground is NOT requiring masks. I was shocked to hear this. Sure enough, as we wandered down the river, none of the guests by the river were wearing masks. We left promptly.
The Ripplewood general store employees were not wearing their masks over their noses one day, but the next day they were.
The Big Sur Bakery and the Big Sur River Inn were all mask compliant, employees and guests.
It was very easy for us to stay six feet away from people at our cabin and while enjoying the river.
We enjoyed our stay and were happy to see so many people respecting the rules and keeping a safe distance.
Thanks for all you do.
Stay safe and well.
Inconsistency- shall not all businesses in Big Sur share the same protocol? Might this be one, of many, reasons the United States, is leading the World with Covid 19 Cases and Deaths? Rethink-Reinvent-Reinvest-We-Can-Prevail! Paradigm Shift is here- let go of the old and welcome the new- Get Hip to the Fact that Community Unity and Doing Well By Doing Good is not just Sustainable- it is the Only Way ~~