ECHO takes the safety of participants, staff and volunteers very seriously. COVID is a virus which means we can not completely keep it out of our projects. We will do what we can to make our activities as safe as we can.
The Government made some general announcements about relaxing COVID rules and making most precautions something people can choose whether to do.
These changes do not apply to social care.
We are still required to keep in place all of the precautions below as we work with vulnerable people who may need extra protection.
What we do:
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Vaccination: ECHO encourages all participants, staff and volunteers to be vaccinated if they can. Being vaccinated helps everyone.
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Hand Washing: Everyone should regularly wash their hands with soap and water and make frequent use of hand sanitiser.
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Social Distancing: ECHO is keeping social distancing in place.
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Testing: ECHO staff and volunteers will do one PCR test and 3 LFD tests each week. We also encourage participants to use LFD tests before they come to our projects.
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PPE: ECHO staff will wear the recommended PPE when working closely with participants.
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Cleaning: ECHO is doing extra cleaning at all of our projects. We use cleaners that can kill Coronavirus. We have also bought a machine called a 'fogger' to help us deep clean if we need to.
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If possible, we would encourage participants to take a Lateral Flow Test each week before attending. We may be able to supply a test if you have difficulty obtaining one but we are not able to assist in administering it.
Guidance
ECHO will follow the most up to date guidance and regularly meets with Herefordshire Council and other service providers to make sure we are doing the right things.
Staying Open
ECHO are committed to staying open as long as we feel it is safe to do so. We know how important our services are to everyone, and so will only close activities if we have to.