By Ed Pierce
Visitors to Windham’s Town Hall may experience Déjà vu once more as the Delta variant of COVID-19 has led the town to request that anyone entering the town hall wear a mask and maintain proper social distancing while in the building. |
| Because of the spike in cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Cumberland County, Windham officials are requesting that anyone entering the Windham Town Hall and other town facilities wear a mask and maintain proper social distancing while indoors. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE |
“We avoided many issues in the first go around of this virus,” Tibbetts said. “Unfortunately, it appears this virus does not want to give up, so we need to be careful and deliberate in our approach with this variant.”
According to Tibbetts, workplace safety guidelines from federal, state, and local authorities are rapidly changing in response to the highly transmittable COVID-19 Delta variant, and the changes are in accordance with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors if they are in locations with high or substantial COVID-19 transmission rates.
He said that while COVID-19 transmission levels vary daily and significantly by geographic location, Cumberland County has been identified as an area of growth for the Delta variant.
The news about the spike in cases, as well as the potential for breakthrough cases for the fully vaccinated has raised some concerns,” Tibbetts said.
“Some employees have expressed safety concerns if they are immunocompromised or live with people with health conditions or children who cannot get vaccinated,” he said.
Under the new measures, Windham has posted signs on entry and conference room doors at Town Hall that "respectfully requests" that visitors wear a mask.
The town also requests that all employees wear a mask when in the public areas, such as hallways, conference rooms, etc., and maintain social distancing for the protection of themselves and others. It also requires that all meetings with individuals from outside the workplace, be held in a conference room fully masked and that town employees self-monitor for COVID symptoms daily.
Should a town employee come into close contact with a known COVID-19 positive person, they should receive a COVID test within three to five days from the exposure and should wear a face covering while at work for 14 days following the exposure or until they receive a negative test result, Tibbetts said.
“We will continue to monitor the CDC and state reports as we progress forward and provide further information as necessary,” Tibbetts said. “Be safe.” <
The news about the spike in cases, as well as the potential for breakthrough cases for the fully vaccinated has raised some concerns,” Tibbetts said.
“Some employees have expressed safety concerns if they are immunocompromised or live with people with health conditions or children who cannot get vaccinated,” he said.
Under the new measures, Windham has posted signs on entry and conference room doors at Town Hall that "respectfully requests" that visitors wear a mask.
The town also requests that all employees wear a mask when in the public areas, such as hallways, conference rooms, etc., and maintain social distancing for the protection of themselves and others. It also requires that all meetings with individuals from outside the workplace, be held in a conference room fully masked and that town employees self-monitor for COVID symptoms daily.
Should a town employee come into close contact with a known COVID-19 positive person, they should receive a COVID test within three to five days from the exposure and should wear a face covering while at work for 14 days following the exposure or until they receive a negative test result, Tibbetts said.
“We will continue to monitor the CDC and state reports as we progress forward and provide further information as necessary,” Tibbetts said. “Be safe.” <
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