West Side Family Place COVID-19 Safety Protocols

Basic Transmission Facts of COVID-19

COVID-19 is a respiratory infection that is spread by droplets. These are small particles that are
dispersed when people cough or sneeze.
Transmission of the virus occurs when a person touches a droplet from an infected person and then
touches their own face; mouth/eyes/nose.  Frequent hand washing and physical distancing are two of the ways
to stop the virus from being transmitted.
Droplet transmission is much more likely when in close contact in an indoor setting. COVID-19 can also
be transmitted through droplets in the environment if someone touches the contaminated area then
touches their face or eyes without cleaning their hands. This speaks to the importance of regularly
cleaning one’s hands and also cleaning of high touch areas in the environment.

Physical distancing

Physical distancing is proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of illness during
an outbreak.
– Use a common-sense approach
– Reduce contact with parents/caregivers and other staff in the program
– Be outdoors as much as possible
– Set up small group activities
– Increase space between children during activities, snack time, etc.
– Limit physical interactions between everyone as much as possible
– Share age appropriate information with the children to encourage social distancing

– Participants must wear masks when entering West Side Family Place
– Staff must wear masks when there is more than one person in a room

There will be times that we may find these strategies physically challenging in the WSFP environment.
When this is the case, perhaps if you need to pass by someone, turn your back as you pass by, keeping
your hands in front of you. Be aware of the space/room you are in and how it is used.

Cleaning Protocols

– Frequent cleaning can reduce the spread of the virus in the home or at
workstations. Cleaning of all surfaces, including kitchen, washrooms and workstations, will take place after each use using common household disinfectants.
– Additional staff time will be allocated to thoroughly clean the play room, common areas
and individual workspaces
– Outdoor play equipment is sanitized daily.  Disinfectant will be provided and parents will be encouraged to use them
to wipe touch surfaces of riding toys before and after their child uses them.

Staff Policies

Staff who are ill with any of these symptoms – even if mild – need to stay home: fever, chills, new or
worsening cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and new muscle aches or headache.
– If you are at all unsure of your status, the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment can help you assess
whether you should stay home or not.
– If a staff member starts showing symptoms of what could be influenza or COVID-19 while at the
center must be isolated from others and should go home immediately. For this reason, when
programs are running, there should be two playroom staff and one office staff so back-up is
available.
– Sick workers are required to wash / sanitize their hands, use a mask and go straight home.
(Upon arrival, consult the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool, or call 811 for further guidance
related to testing and self-isolation. Masks will be available in-house should the need arise.)
– If the worker is severely ill (e.g. difficult breathing, chest pain), 911 should be called.
– Any surfaces the ill worker has come into contact with should be cleaned and disinfected.
– Staff are prohibited from the workplace if:
– They are directed by Public Health to self-isolate
– They have arrived from outside of Canada or has had contact with a confirmed COVID19 case – must then self-isolate for 14 days and monitor for symptoms
– If a staff person is diagnosed with COVID-19 all staff who have had contact with that person will
be required to get tested and provide proof of a negative test result before returning to work.
The event will be reported to public health agencies. The facility will then be thoroughly
cleaned and disinfected and will reopen according to public health advice from the Centre for
Disease Control and/or Work safe BC.

Communications Plan

Information will be provided through social media, on our website and through member
newsletters. To ensure that clients and the general public are aware of services and adopted
safety protocols, communications will include:
– Services/products being provided (e.g., modified services, additional services)
– Operating hours and registration procedures
– Updated contact information
– Safety protocols being implemented at WSFP
Other workplace protocol (WCB recommended)
– Visitors are to be limited in the workplace
– Review OFAA protocols for First Aid (see WCB Guide – Appendix A)
– If there is any question related to health and safety concerns, the executive director and/or
office staff should be advised immediately.
– When resolving safety issues, all staff will be involved (routine online staff meetings to be
continued for this purpose).
– All staff will be trained by the office manager and/or the executive director on COVID-19 related
safety plans and related protocol when taking on new roles, responsibilities, and processes.
– Staff has put a cleaning schedule with safe processes in place to support program start-up and
ongoing safety in the center.
– Personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, are not required for regular course of
work, but will be made available for workers when cleaning bodily fluids and when disinfecting
the space.

Programming

WSFP programs will be held outdoors, for small, preregistered groups of 5
to 10 families to allow for physical distancing. Each session will be 60 to 90 minutes in length.
– Group size will be determined by the space and the age of the children. For example,
parent – infant groups may be larger because the children will not be interacting with
each other
– Adult participants will be required to wear masks indoor and outdoor and hand sanitizer
will be available for all participants
– Each family will be asked to bring a blanket to sit on. Activities will be planned to reduce
the amount of physical interaction while at the same time providing a stimulating social
experience for both children and caregivers.
– WSFP will not provide refreshments and participants will be asked not to bring food or drink into the program space.
– Participants will be asked to pre-register online to ensure efficient and safe collection of
personal information necessary for contact tracing.

-Staff who facilitate programs at off-site locations will adhere to both WSFP and the host agencies protocols.

Program Registration

– Telephone registration will open at 9:30am on Monday morning for the week and will
remain open until all spaces are filled. Tuesday to Friday registration is from 9:30am to 12:00pm.
– Registration will not be accepted through email or telephone messages.
– Staff will gather information necessary for contact tracing, should it be required and to
reduce the amount of information collected at sign-in. This will include name, email and
phone number for all participants.
– If a child is attending with a caregiver, contact information for both the adult and the
child/ran will be collected.
– Upon registration an email will be sent to participants to certify that they are not
experiencing any of the following symptoms (even if mild): fever, chills, new or worsening
cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and new muscle aches or headache. If they are
experiencing any of these symptoms, they will be asked to stay home
– WSFP policy for drop-in program is for each family to attend only once per week to give
more families the opportunity to participate

Sign-in Procedure

– Sign-in will sheets will be pre-printed based on registration data and will include the
name of the participants. Rather than have participants sign, staff will ensure the
information is correct and complete and will place a check mark next the person’s name
to confirm that they were in attendance
– For off-site program, one or two spaces may be left open for “walk-in” participants to
join. In this situation, the participant will be asked for the name, email and telephone
number for both children and adults.

Outbreak Response

WSFP is committed to the following process in the event of a COVID-19 Outbreak (two or more cases):
1. If a case or outbreak is reported, the Executive Director will be the main point of contact for all
parties. The Executive Director has the authority to modify, restrict, postpone, or cancel any or
all WSFP activities.
a. Email: wsfp@telus.net
b. Phone: (604) 738-2819
2. In the event of a suspected case or outbreak of influenza-like-illness, the Executive Director will
immediately report and discuss the suspected outbreak with the Medical Health Officer (or
delegate) at the local health authority. If WSFP is contacted by a medical health officer in the
course of contact tracing, all individuals associated with WSFP must cooperate with local health
authorities.
Staff and/or visitors who have tested positive or are waiting for results for COVID 19 will not be
permitted to return to the WSFP until they receive a negative result for COVID 19. The areas that they
could have potentially been infected / touched will be closed off, cleaned and disinfected immediately.
Anyone who have travelled outside of Canada within the last 14 days or are a close contact of a person
who tested positive for COVID-19 will be asked not to come into WSFP and must quarantine and self isolate for at least 14 days to ensure the infection does not spread further.