Dear Colleagues,
As we approach the beginning of Pilot 1, we want to say how proud we are of this Laboratory and its people. Whether you’ve been one of the workers on site or you’ve been teleworking during this pandemic, we’ve all demonstrated great resiliency and commitment to the Lab’s mission.
We’re especially grateful for the members of the Lab’s research and operations community who have worked together to add COVID-19 prevention to our already strong safety culture. We’ve had no new reported cases among those who have been on Lab sites in nine weeks.
We’ve accomplished this by making health and safety our top priority, and by following the guidance of our public health authorities. As we gradually add more people to our sites in the coming months, we will continue to focus on health and safety. Our COVID-19 controls are designed to bring the risk of transmission to the lowest possible level, even if someone comes to a Lab site unaware that they are infected.
Keeping our community healthy is a partnership between the Lab and you. That is why we ask you to take the following steps before entering any Lab site:
- Check with your line management to ensure you are authorized to come on site
- Accept the WPC COVID controls assigned to you
- Complete the COVID-19 safety training
- Complete the health symptoms self check weekly
- Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms daily
- Present your badge on entry
- Have a face covering with you
Most importantly, if you have symptoms, stay home, and contact Health Services (510-486-6266). Your identity will be kept confidential.
Now more than ever, our choices affect not only our own health and safety, but the health and safety of our colleagues, friends, neighbors, and families. Whether you are among those designated to work on site or you are continuing to telework, please follow the measures that we know help prevent the spread of COVID-19: wear a face covering, practice social distancing, wash your hands, and disinfect high touch surfaces. Let’s keep our community COVID-free together.
Finally, be patient with one another. Coming back to a work site during a public health crisis brings anxiety. We’re all experiencing this from the perspectives of our different values and backgrounds. Assume your colleagues are doing their best, work out any differences transparently and respectfully, and treat each other with grace and humor. We’re one team, and we’ll succeed together.
Best regards,
Mike Witherell
Lab Director
Michael Brandt
Deputy Lab Director for Operations and Chief Operating Officer
Horst Simon
Deputy Lab Director for Research and Chief Research Officer