March 20, 2020

Dear Friends,

With recent COVID-19 events impacting our daily routines, the health and safety of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. clients, staff, volunteers and families, and our community, is our top priority.

We understand you may have questions as to what we're doing to keep our clients and teams healthy. Our business continuity plan allows us to maintain full operations in our services focusing on senior care and affordable housing.

In order to support the health of all Canadians, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. services for newcomers and local residents are now limited to online visitation, email and via phone. Teams are checking-in daily with each other, and are re-assessing the need to suspend such in-person services on a weekly basis.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. has also postponed public gatherings until further notice. We are restricting visitors to all S.U.C.C.E.S.S. offices, and have temporarily cancelled in-person meetings and workshops with outside guests, encouraging our staff to plan virtual gatherings via online meeting tools whenever possible.

We urge all funded partners to exercise sound judgement and caution in the delivery of their programs and services. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. will accommodate as best as possible all program adjustments required to ensure the health and safety of all teams, volunteers and clients.

Up-to-date information on COVID-19, what you can do to protect yourself and your community, and how to stay mentally and physically fit while at home are found below.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. will keep you updated on our operations through social media and our website.

We hope that you, your family and loved ones will stay safe and healthy during this time.

Sincerely,

Queenie Choo
CEO

Best Practices for Your Health

Please consider the following steps to protect yourself, your family and, your coworkers:

1. Practice good hygiene - wash your hands with soap and warm water thoroughly and often. When you are at home, please ensure that your family does the same.

2. When you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, and dispose of the tissue immediately. Cough into your upper sleeve if you don't have a tissue. Bring a box of tissue to work to keep at your desk.

3. Avoid touching your face.

4. Avoid shaking hands with people. Friendly "hellos," nods or waves are just as warm and welcoming!

5. Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

6. Use the hand sanitizer located in throughout our offices.

Finally, if you are sick, please stay at home until you are well, and limit your physical contact with others.

Symptoms and the Spread of COVID-19

This virus may cause severe respiratory distress. While the incubation period of COVID-19 lasts from 5-14 days, symptoms are similar to that of the flu, and could include:

   · Fever or feeling feverish/chills

   · Headache

   · Dry cough or a sore throat

   · Body or muscle aches

   · Difficulty in breathing

Like the flu, COVID-19 can spread from person to person in close proximity with someone who has contracted the virus. 

Currently there is no vaccine against COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the best way to avoid catching a cold, the flu, or COVID-19, is to practice regular hand washing hygiene.

What To Do if You Feel Sick?

If you experience flu-like symptoms, stay home and seek advice for a medical professional.

If you suspect you might have the COVID-19 virus, all staff are required to call your immediate supervisor. You will be asked:

   · How long you have been sick,

   · When your symptoms first appeared,

   · If you've recently travelled, and if you have visited another S.U.C.C.E.S.S. office.

Also, note that as of March 16, 2020, as authorized by the B.C. Ministry of Health, pharmacies may now refill prescriptions without renewal notes from doctors.

Medical Tele-Help:

You can call the following free medical professional with health-related concerns:

   · HealthLink BC: Dial "8-1-1"

   · Dedicated Helpline: 1-888-COVID-19

Stay Informed on COVID-19 Developments:

Keep updated on the latest COVID-19 developments from official sources. Gossip often spreads false or poorly-informed information. These resources will provide accurate and timely information to help you:

   · World Health Organization (WHO): https://bit.ly/WHOInfo-COVID-19

   · Government of Canada COVID-19 Database: https://bit.ly/Canada-COVID-19

   · B.C. Center for Disease Control (CDC): https://bit.ly/BCCDC-COVID-19

   · Vancouver Coastal Health: https://bit.ly/VCH-COVID-19

Things You Can Do While at Home

If you find yourself at home looking for things to do, consider these ideas to keep you busy!

• Eight Ivy League universities have made available for anyone over 450 free university-level classes on subjects ranging from Computer and Data Science to Arts and Humanities to Personal Development and Medicine. Check out www.freecodecamp.org for more information. Educational classes for youth can be found at Amazing Educational Resources.
• The Vancouver Public Library (VPL) has a large collection of e-books for reading. Find some old classics or the latest non-fiction from your favorite authors at VPL Digital Collections.
• Stay mentally and physically fit while practicing social distancing! There are many free online exercise classes, videos and tutorials on the web to keep us healthy. Check out this database of easy-to-do workout routines at DAREBEE Workouts, or watch free workout, pilates or yoga class content hosted on video streaming sites like YouTube, Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.
• And finally, if you like video games, check out Steam's free video game library.

Again, thank you for your patience and support during this time. We look forward to serving you in a greater capacity in the near future. Stay healthy and safe, and we'll see you soon!