Memorial Day weekend is here, and we want to share some tips to help you and your family enjoy more time outdoors safely, as we learn to co-exist with COVID-19.
1. Social Distancing
- Stay at least 6 feet away from others and wash hands frequently.
2. Grill Safety
- It's tempting to want to stand around the grill and chat, but adults are advised to wear masks, and keep distance from others.
- Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use.
- Make sure everyone, including children and pets, stay away from the grill.
3. Water Safety
- Maintain social distancing in the water between you and people who don’t live with you.
- Make sure children in pools are supervised at ALL times in and around water.
- Wear face coverings on land, especially when physical social distancing is difficult. Do not wear them in the water as it may be difficult to breathe.
- Don’t share goggles, nose clips, snorkels or other personal items.
4. Helmet Safety
- Everyone, at every age and experience level, should wear a helmet when biking, riding a scooter or any activity which leaves your head vulnerable to injury.
- Ensure social distancing and mask wearing when appropriate.
We Are Here for You
The summer months have arrived and as we begin spending time doing outdoor activities, we wanted to remind you that we are here for you if health issues arise. Our emergency departments across Atlantic Health’s hospitals remain safe for every patient who enters. Rest assured we’ve reconfigured processes and facilities to optimize safety and improve the patient experience.
All care is delivered with strict rules around social distancing, universal mask wearing, rigorously enforced hand hygiene and advanced cleaning practices for the entire facility. All patients will be triaged at the point of entry including taking their temperature and asking a series of health questions, no matter what the reason for the visit. Once that has occurred, a nurse escorts the patient to the appropriate treatment area. This will reduce the use of communal waiting rooms and the possibility of close contact in areas such as hallways. All departments have specialized treatment areas for patients with COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses.
“It’s critical that patients with urgent medical issues continue to come to the ED for care. We have created processes and configured our facility to maximize the safety and effective delivery of care for all of our patients,” said Eric Perez, MD, chairman of the Emergency Department at Chilton Medical Center. “I cannot emphasize enough that the long- and short-term negative impacts of delaying urgent care are far greater than the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the hospital.”
Delays in seeking urgent care can result in more extensive care and longer recovery than might have been needed, may result in lifelong debilitation or can be fatal in cases of sepsis, heart attack or stroke. In New Jersey and nationwide, healthcare providers have observed an alarming trend of delay of care for many non-COVID conditions. Atlantic Health System provides emergency services at Chilton Medical Center, Morristown Medical Center, Overlook Medical Center, Newton Medical Center, Hackettstown Medical Center, and our Union Campus. Please always call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.
Sources:
- American Red Cross
- Centers for Disease Control
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons