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An Important Message from Alan van Capelle Regarding COVID-19 Preparedness

Home » An Important Message from Alan van Capelle Regarding COVID-19 Preparedness

COVID-19 Update

As of March 20, 2020
The 14th Street Y will remain closed until further notice

Dear 14Y Community,

We hope that you and your families are healthy and safe during this challenging time. After spending this week evaluating the spread of COVID-19 in our area, I write to let you know that the 14th Street Y will be closed until further notice.

Although the 14th Street Y building is closed and we are physically separated, we are still a community. We know that we are all in this together and the 14th Street Y will continue to be there for you.

Our dedicated staff is hard at work creating a virtual 14Y to keep you connected to us and to each other–a collaborative effort across all of Educational Alliance.

This exciting project will come to fruition early next week offering an abundance of resources including online fitness classes, one-on-one phone and video opportunities with staff, and engaging content for all ages. New programming will include 14Y Community Corner, featuring videos from 14Y staff who are eager to share helpful tips, stories, and more. Our early childhood educators are creating videos and connecting with their students and their families, while our youth program staff are curating live-streaming enrichment classes to keep children engaged while home from school.

We will also be launching a community survey next week to help us better understand your wants, needs, and the challenges you are facing. Whether you need help getting groceries, finding the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, or just need to hear a friendly voice, we will be creating new resources and collaborating with other organizations to support everyone in our community.
If you’re interested in helping your fellow neighbors, volunteer opportunities will become available through the 14Y and throughout Educational Alliance.

As a nonprofit organization, the 14th Street Y’s mission is powered through the generous support of our community members. I know these are challenging times and so many are hurting, but if you can, I ask you to make a donation to enable us to continue our work for the community.

Please stay tuned for the launch of our Virtual 14Y next week!  In the meantime, I wish you health and rest and comfort.

Shabbat shalom,
Jordan Brackett
Executive Director
14th Street Y

As of March 13, 2020
14th Street Y Closing at 6:00 PM Today (Friday, March 13) 

Hello 14Y Community,

Out of an abundance of caution and in order to provide safety to our community members and increase social distancing, we have made the decision to close the 14th Street Y starting at 6:00 PM today, Friday, March 13. We will be closed for at least a week and will re-evaluate next week whether to continue our closure.

We are NOT aware of any visitors or staff at the 14th Street Y testing positive for COVID-19. We do, however, believe that closing our facility is the most effective way to keep our community safe at this time. Along with the leadership team at Educational Alliance, we will continue to work with the Center for Disease Control and the New York City and New York State Departments of Health to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in our area.

The 14th Street Y is a community. Our mission is to bring people together and one of the challenges of this moment is that COVID-19 is physically separating us. In the coming days, our staff will figure out ways to bring us together. We will aim to create a “virtual JCC,” where we can stay connected and have some sort of online programming.

This page offers the most up-to-date information on 14Y building and program closures as well as COVID-19 resources and guidelines. I also encourage you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, which will feature additional information and community resources.

Stay safe and please be extra kind to each other. We will weather this storm.

Sincerely,

Jordan Brackett
Executive Director
14th Street Y

 

As of March 11, 2020

The following 14Y programs have been suspended until further notice: 

Due to the risk that the COVID-19 coronavirus poses to older adults in our community, we are taking important steps to encourage social distancing and limit the potential transmission of the virus. All the classed detailed above at the 14th Street Y are suspended until further notice.

In order to limit the disruption to our members, our fitness center will remain open for use by individuals and those working with personal trainers. Our pool will also remain open for use by individuals and those taking private swim lessons. Our basketball gymnasium will remain open for adult and member basketball as well as open gym.

If you have any questions, please email info@14streety.org, call 212-780-0800 or stop by our Service Desk, which is open 8:00 am – 10:00 pm Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am – 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

An Important Message from Alan van Capelle Regarding COVID-19 Preparedness

Updated March 11, 2020

Dear Educational Alliance community,

Educational Alliance has been monitoring the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in NYC and has been in regular contact with city, state, and federal agencies. At this point, all recommend “social distancing” as an important part of the effort to limit the spread of COVID-9. At the 14th Street Y, a part of Educational Alliance, this means limiting the number of gatherings at the agency.

As we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in our area, the safety and health of the 14Y community is our top priority. Our staff and executive team are committed to adapting our programming and cleaning practices in ways that minimize the transmission of germs within our building, and to ensure sanitation procedures for our building are up-to-date and effective.

In the meantime, it’s important to remember common sense guidelines for good health and safety, such as:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Stay home if you’re feeling sick. Call your doctor and let them know your symptoms and travel history.
  • Do not send children with fevers and flu-like symptoms to school.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or sleeve.

We also encourage you to familiarize yourself with information about COVID-19 so that you can make informed decisions about how best to protect yourself and those in your community. We recommend the following resources:

We are deeply committed to keeping everyone at Educational Alliance safe and healthy and will share any additional information as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Alan van Capelle
President and CEO

COVID-19 UPDATE:

As we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in our area, the safety and health of the 14Y community is our top priority. Our staff and executive team are committed to adapting our programming and cleaning practices in ways that minimize the transmission of germs in our building.

Along with the leadership team at Educational Alliance, we are working with the Center for Disease Control and the New York City and New York State Departments of Health to ensure sanitation procedures for our building are up-to-date and effective.

Here are some of the current strategies we are employing in the building: 

  1.  We added more Purell dispensers and anti-viral wipe dispensers around the building.
  2.  We are working with staff and 14Y members to increase equipment wipe downs in the fitness center.
  3.  Extra disinfecting procedures have been instituted each afternoon and evening across the entire building.
  4.  Extra wipe downs of “high touch” areas such as banisters and elevator buttons have also been instituted, happening several times a day.

 

Additional Common Sense Health Reminders
Hand Washing

Make it a practice to model and reinforce with your children washing hands several times during the day with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

14Y Early Childhood and Youth Program staff will be doing the same in our classrooms—both upon arrival, after bathroom use, and before lunch and snack.

Please note that the Federal Food and Drug Administration has tempered claims that mass-market hand sanitizers, particularly those whose key ingredient, alcohol, prevent or help stop the spread of viruses. If soap and water are not available, then use hand sanitizer.

 

Other Recommendations

Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

 

If You Aren’t Feeling Well

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If a tissue is not available, it is best to sneeze or cough into your elbow to keep the cough or sneeze from spreading and to avoid adding germs to your hands.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Keep your children home from school if they display symptoms of illness including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and upper respiratory infection.

The same applies for faculty and staff.

Students should remain at home until they are fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours afterwards. Please know that we will send any student who appears sick home from school.

Consult your physician if an illness does not clear up in a few days or if you suspect a viral infection, such as the flu. Please share the confirmed diagnosis with our staff for tracking and follow-up purposes. Please note that symptoms for COVID-19 can include fever, cough or shortness of breath.