PRESS RELEASE: April 7, 2020
Contact: Lori Evans, Foundation Director
C. 904-476-1138 | O. 850-253-1907
Dear Madison County Residents,
To manage the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, we at Madison County Memorial Hospital are asking our residents to take the pandemic seriously. While we, as healthcare professionals, continue to care for patients, we must have your help to slow the spread of the virus and, in turn, prevent a spike in COVID-19 cases that could potentially overload our community’s healthcare systems. We can only combat this pandemic if our entire community works together.
We stand in support of the rules and recommendations for slowing the spread of COVID-19 put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our state and local governments, but, in the face of harsh projections and poor social distancing grades of our community, we are taking these recommendations a step further.
Madison County Memorial Hospital, with the support of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), is recommending all Madison County residents follow the below guidelines, based on clinical guidance from their leading medical experts.
- All residents should stay home at all times, except for when engaging in essential activities as outlined in the Florida stay-at-home order. We would like to take these guidelines a step further by offering additional recommendations that have been clinically clarified as best practices for our community and beyond.
- While religious congregations are not legally prevented from meeting, we strongly recommend those wishing to worship find alternative forums that do not involve meeting physically.
- Whenever possible, restrict access to your home only to members of your immediate household.
- While outdoor recreation is not an essential activity, it can be permissible if you restrict the activity to only members of your household and maintain a strict 6-foot distance from any other individuals you may encounter while outside of your home.
- Even when adhering to these guidelines, each essential outing presents an exposure risk. Be mindful to limit essential outings as much as possible.
- Any individual who has symptoms of respiratory illness should immediately self-quarantine and call their healthcare provider to discuss appropriate testing.
- Not all individuals are candidates to be tested for COVID-19. Employers concerned about an employee’s health should rely on the recommendation of the employee’s healthcare provider regarding their ability to work.
- All residents should continue to adhere to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendations on infection prevention, including washing your hands for a full 20 seconds after touching any non-sterile surface and maintaining a strict 6-foot distance between individuals at all times.
- Per the CDC’s recommendation, wear a cloth face covering while engaging in essential activities outside of your home. Please note, you should still maintain a strict 6-foot distance between individuals at all times, even when wearing face coverings.
We appreciate your help as we all play our roles in combating the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The actions of just one individual can have a tremendous impact, for better or for worse.
Sincerely,
Tammy Stevens, CEO
Madison County Memorial Hospital
Madison County Memorial Hospital (MCMH), is located near downtown Madison, Florida and serves a sixty-mile radius of North Florida and South Georgia. With an Emergency Room, Inpatient-Nursing, Swing-bed, Acute Care and Observation as well as Outpatient- diagnostic, physical, occupational and speech therapy, full-service laboratory, Endoscopy services, a Wound Care Clinic, and General Surgery, the goal is to build a collaborative network to ensure a strong and healthy community through innovative health services.
###
