MARCH 9, 2020:

Dear Healthy Children Project Community: 

To keep our community up-to-date on the latest developments relating to the recent global outbreaks of COVID-19 (the disease caused by the novel coronavirus first identified in 2019), we have provided a link to the CDC website in order to help everyone continue to be safe, comfortable and productive. Please take a few minutes each day to review the website in order to stay up-to-date.

In addition, if you plan to be a participant in an upcoming workshop and have recently traveled or have plans to travel to countries designated Level 3 or Level 2 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or if you’ve been in contact with someone who has been exposed to/contracted COVID-19, please report this to the class registrar at 508 888 8044 or via e-mail to info@centerforbreastfeeding.org.

COVID-19 is presenting worldwide health challenges. The health and safety of our communities, faculty, and staff are of utmost importance. Healthy Children Project is taking action to help prevent infection, as well as urging our community to take simple but critical steps to keep healthy and to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including coronavirus. Maintain good hygiene by:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
• Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
  • CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
  • Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

We will be following the guideline put in place during the H1N1 era: each person will receive their own pencil for the exam. We encourage participants to bring their own pens and hand sanitizer to the event. (We will provide a pen for those who forget.) We will not use shared pens for registration. Each classroom will have disinfectant wipes and tissues.

For updates about COVID-19 in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, please see the CDC website.

Due to the rapidly evolving nature of the virus, we will continue to provide updates. We want to reassure you that, to date, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of getting COVID-19 in the US is currently low. Thank you for your support in keeping our community healthy.