Hi folks! Well, the good news is that life in the pandemic is a lot different this year than last year, in no small part thanks to the vaccines.
The bad news: Our local hospitals are overwhelmed right now, and they are asking all of us to do what we can to avoid gathering in public, get vaccinated, and wear our masks. I am sure many of you share the same gratitude we hold for our health care workers, so, if paring down the schedule for a few weeks will help in any way, let’s do it! Who likes driving in winter, anyway? 🙂
Beginning Monday, December 27, group activities at Bugbee will be temporarily cancelled, until at least January 17 (tentative). In person lunch will continue, but at reduced capacity so we can better space out everyone’s tables. Take-out meals will also be available if lunch happens to fill up. Equipment loans, Meals on Wheels, social services, and transportation services are all still available, as usual and without any changes.
We’ll reassess the situation mid-January to see where things are in the community and at local hospitals. If it looks like the hospitals start to feel relief, we’ll start things back up again with bingo on Monday, January 17. Stay tuned.
Details about what’s on and what’s off will be in the January Bulletin. In the meantime, here are a few things you can do to help:
- Get vaccinated, and if you’re already vaccinated, get your booster shot as soon as possible. The vaccines remain effective against both Delta and the soon-to-be dominant Omicron variant.
- Monitor for symptoms. With the omicron variant, even a runny nose may be a tell-tale sign of a COVID infection. If you have any symptoms, get tested, and stay home.
- Wear a mask in public. I think we’re all used to it by now–and some of your masks have fun designs on them, so by now we don’t mind 🙂
- Practice social distancing, and avoid large group gatherings indoors. The Omicron variant is several times more contagious than prior variants, so you may want to avoid places that get crowded.
- Thank your health care provider. Even a quick thank you note or email can go a long way for someone who feels burnt out and discouraged by the pandemic.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call (802-295-9068) or info@bugbeecenter.org.
We’re glad we’ll be able to still see you this time around, and thank you for understanding a few limits are necessary but temporary precautions. Let’s be sure to keep in touch with each other the next few weeks while we hunker down and ride this one out!
Thank you,
– Bugbee Senior Center Staff