Helpful Resources

Going to the Grocery Store

The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home but at some point most of us will have to make a trip to a grocery store. Grocery stores are working hard to keep their employees and customers safe but there are some steps you can take as well.

  1. Limit trips to the grocery store to once per week or less if possible.
  2. Shop with a list and like you mean business! Avoid browsing and minimize your time in the store.
  3. Shop by yourself if possible, to help limit the number of people in the aisles. Even better, see if you can get groceries for a neighbor (use good social distancing practices when picking up the list and dropping the groceries off).
  4. Shop at less popular times when the store will be less crowded.
  5. Wear a cloth face covering to help protect others in case you have COVID-19 but have not developed symptoms.
  6. Stand at least six feet from other customers and staff while shopping and checking out.
  7. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after handling money.
  8. Don’t touch your face and avoid things like using the phone, applying chapstick, or touching your hair.
  9. Use hand sanitizer when you get in the car.
  10. Wash your hands throughly when you get home.
  11. Toss packaging and wipe down bottles when you get home but do not put bleach or disinfectants on produce or other foods. This is bad for you and can result in poisoning or death.

Emergency Delivery Services

Klickitat County EOC and multiple volunteer groups will begin delivering necessary supplies such as groceries to community members starting Friday, March 27th, 2020. This service is intended for members of our community in quarantine (may have been exposed to COVID-19), isolation (have tested positive for COVID-19), High Risk and Vulnerable Populations. Vulnerable Populations, as defined by the CDC and Washington State Department of Public Health, including anyone who has difficulty communicating, difficulty accessing medical care, anyone who may need help maintaining independence, anyone who requires constant supervision, anyone who may need help accessing transportation, those who have serious underlying medical conditions or are at HIGH RISK for complications from COVID-19, such as, but not limited to, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or a weakened immune system.

For information on how to participate in this program see the media release below:

Delivery Service Media Release - English

Delivery Service Media Release - Spanish

COVID-19 Apple App

Apple Inc. – in partnership with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – released an app and website that guides Americans through a series of questions about their health and exposure to determine if they should seek care for COVID-19 symptoms.  The tool provides CDC recommendations on next steps including guidance on social distancing and self-isolating, how to closely monitor symptoms, recommendations on testing, and when to contact a medical provider.

This launch is a direct response to President Trump’s call for an all-of-America approach and will help Americans heed CDC guidelines and self-isolate to limit COVID-19 transmission.

Users can download the free app from Apple’s App Store or access the tool online at www.apple.com/covid19.  Everyone has a role to play as we work together to stop the spread of COVID-19.  The latest recommendations can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.

How Can You Plan Ahead for COVID-19?

  • Keep 2-4 weeks of basic supplies on hand such as shelf stable foods, soap, tissues, toilet paper (if you can find it!), and pet food on hand.
  • If you or others in your household take prescription medications, ask your primary care provider about keeping an emergency supply of these medications on hand.
  • Talk to neighbors and friends and ask if they would be willing to pick up household necessities in the event you are quarantined and unable to go to the store. Offer to do the same for them.
  • Check on elderly and high risk people in your life to make sure they are able to get the supplies they need. If you are able, offer to pick up necessities from the store for them to limit their exposure.

Childcare

With schools closed, many parents are struggling to find child care options for their children. Ideally, children should be kept at home, away from other people, following social distancing practices. However, this is not always possible so alternate care arrangements are necessary.

For facilities that remain open, steps must be taken to reduce the risk of spreading corona virus.

  • Children, staff, and parents that show symptoms of COVID-19, have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, or those who are at high risk due to underlying health conditions should be excluded from the site.
  • All persons on site should be screened daily at entry. This means taking temperatures and checking for symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath) prior to contact with others at the site.
  • Reduce group sizes to 10 people total (or less), including children and adults – e.g. one adult and nine children, two adults and eight children, etc.
  • Incorporate social distancing within groups as much as possible, aiming for at least six feet between children and minimizing the amount of time children are in close contact with each other.
  • Eliminate large group activities.
  • Increase the distance between children during table work.
  • Plan activities that do not require close physical contact between children.
  • Limit item sharing and ensure hand washing protocols are followed after handling shared items.
  • Incorporate additional outside time and encourage games that limit contact.
  • Avoid gathering with other groups for meals, drop off, and pickups.
  • Increase the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing toys, equipment, surfaces, doorknobs, counter tops, and restrooms.

Mental Health 

Social distancing, the constant flood of news through multiple sources of media, and uncertainty about the future can trigger anxiety and depression. If you find yourself lonely, stressed, or anxious pay attention to these emotions and take action:

  1. Avoid watching, reading, or listening to news reports that cause you to feel anxious or distressed. A near-constant stream of news is not calming. Seek out information from reliable sources like the Washington State Department of Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just a couple times a day. Fact check what you see on social media. Spread good information.
  2. Stay connected with others and maintain your social networks. Go for a walk and wave to your neighbors from six feet away. Ask them if they are well and if they need anything.
  3. Introduce structure into your day. Structure and routine may be helpful for people with mental health vulnerabilities, especially during times of uncertainty. Even if you are working from home or if your life looks completely different right now, try to maintain familiar routines in daily life as much as possible. Maybe we’ll feel better if we shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast.

There are resources available if you are struggling with depression or anxiety during this stressful time:

If you are in crisis, don’t hesitate to call the 24-Hour Crisis Line at 866–427–4747 or text HEAL to 741741 to get confidential text access to a trained crisis counselor any time of the day or night.