Dear colleagues,
Again, thank you for your help with our COVID-19 response. The Lab’s Critical Incident Management Group (CIMG) continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on our communities and its implications for Lab operations. Our goal is to keep the Lab community healthy, drawing from current federal, state, and local guidance and the best available scientific information.
Lab leadership is committed to keeping you informed as the situation evolves. We will update you by email as major Lab policy decisions are made. Please also review our COVID-19 website and especially these Frequently Asked Questions, which we will continue to expand. If you have questions that are not covered in these FAQs, please email the CIMG at CIMG@lbl.gov.
We are making one clarification to the self-isolation policy based on your feedback. The 14-day self-isolation policy applies to international travelers who have traveled from or through a CDC Level 3 country. These and other travel topics are covered in detail in the FAQs.
We have just learned that the CDC has added Italy and Iran to its Level 3 countries list (“avoid nonessential travel”). If you are a host, you are required to share our 14-day self-isolation policy with all users and visitors as soon as possible prior to their travel departure to the Lab so they can make alternate arrangements if needed.
We need everyone at the Lab to play a role in keeping themselves, their families, and their colleagues safe. Here are the most important actions you can take:
- Stay home if you are ill, and contact your health care provider if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, whether you have traveled recently or not.
- Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water and/or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) of distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth in public; wash your hands before and after if you do touch these.
- Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of used tissue immediately.
- Avoid handshakes. A friendly wave is recommended.
We realize these safety measures will affect your operations, and we appreciate your flexibility and help in this fluid situation. We will continue to provide updates as our guidance changes by email and at our COVID-19 website, status.lbl.gov, 1-800-445-5830, and @LBNLstatus.
Michael