COVID-19, the coronavirus, has arrived in Westchester County and with it comes our inability to predict how it may (or may not) spread into the communities where we live, work and worship. Nevertheless, we need to be prepared for the possibility of school, workplace and community closings and disruptions that affect us physically, mentally, economically and spiritually. I want to reiterate and update much of last week's message, and stress that balancing the need for both caution and for community requires our vigilance and best ongoing discernment.
First, a reminder that if you are over 70, have a suppressed immune system or have an underlying health condition that makes you susceptible to respiratory illnesses, you are the most vulnerable among us to this disease. Do what you need to do to protect your health and ask for the support you would like if you choose not to venture out to church or other gatherings.
Protect yourselves and each other by taking precautions, using common sense and keeping calm. We want to stay alert, not anxious.
Keep informed: Make sure you are getting reliable and up-to-date information from doctors and public health officials (like the CDC), and not from politicians or scaremongers on TV or online.
Westchester County resource: https://health.westchestergov.com/2019-novel-coronavirus.
Take precautions: follow these common sense tips from the CDC, also captured below:
If you need financial assistance for food or medicine or to see a doctor, let me know. Making emergency funds available through our Ministerial Discretionary Fund is one way we take care of one another in difficult times!
Lastly, I offer these words Rev. Michael Tino shared yesterday with members of the UU congregation in Mount Kisco: “Be vigilant about how a public health crisis such as this can stoke the flames of hatred, intolerance, and injustice in our society. We've already seen racist rhetoric aimed at China, Iran, and people of Asian descent; I fear the outbreak's location in Westchester County might stoke anti-Semitism as well. As a faith community dedicated to justice, we must speak up to oppose racism in all of its forms.”
If you haven't already done so, this is a good time to reach out to one or more of your neighbors, friends, or family members. Let's keep each other calm, informed and healthy!
With blessings for the journey,
Rev. Cindy
First, a reminder that if you are over 70, have a suppressed immune system or have an underlying health condition that makes you susceptible to respiratory illnesses, you are the most vulnerable among us to this disease. Do what you need to do to protect your health and ask for the support you would like if you choose not to venture out to church or other gatherings.
Protect yourselves and each other by taking precautions, using common sense and keeping calm. We want to stay alert, not anxious.
Keep informed: Make sure you are getting reliable and up-to-date information from doctors and public health officials (like the CDC), and not from politicians or scaremongers on TV or online.
Westchester County resource: https://health.westchestergov.com/2019-novel-coronavirus.
Take precautions: follow these common sense tips from the CDC, also captured below:
- If you are sick, stay home -- from work, from school, from Fourth UU.
- Reach out by phone, or email, to let me or someone else know you are ill.
- See a doctor if you have a fever.
- Wash your hands often and do it well! If soap and running water are not available, then use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Sneeze and cough into tissues and flexed elbows rather than hands.
- Swap out handshakes for fist bumps!
- Maintain a social distance of three or more feet from someone who is coughing or showing other symptoms; check in with that person to see if they need help to ensure that are getting what they need to recover.
- Refrain from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, transfer points for viruses.
- Stock up, if you can, on groceries. Have a month’s supply of your regular medications.
If you need financial assistance for food or medicine or to see a doctor, let me know. Making emergency funds available through our Ministerial Discretionary Fund is one way we take care of one another in difficult times!
Lastly, I offer these words Rev. Michael Tino shared yesterday with members of the UU congregation in Mount Kisco: “Be vigilant about how a public health crisis such as this can stoke the flames of hatred, intolerance, and injustice in our society. We've already seen racist rhetoric aimed at China, Iran, and people of Asian descent; I fear the outbreak's location in Westchester County might stoke anti-Semitism as well. As a faith community dedicated to justice, we must speak up to oppose racism in all of its forms.”
If you haven't already done so, this is a good time to reach out to one or more of your neighbors, friends, or family members. Let's keep each other calm, informed and healthy!
With blessings for the journey,
Rev. Cindy
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