The Poverello Center has changed its hours of operation after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
"On Aug. 11, we were informed that a Poverello Center staff person tested positive for COVID-19," Poverello Center Executive Director Amy Allison Thompson stated in a letter released on Thursday.
She added that the Poverello "quickly arranged for all close contacts to receive a COVID-19 test administered by the Community Medical Center" and that another person also tested positive for the coronavirus.
Everyone who is considered a close contact with either person with positive test results has been contacted by the Missoula City-County Health Department, according to Thompson's letter. She added that "being associated with the Poverello Center does not mean you are a close contact."
The Poverello Center is now closed during the day. The sack lunches provided by the Missoula Food Bank will be handed out at the shelter from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and people will be allowed in for emergency overnight shelter beginning at 8:45 p.m.
Thompson noted that Poverello will be closed starting at 8 a.m. every morning with the new schedule remaining in effect indefinitely.
"We will continue to follow the recommended protocols to keep our team and guests safe. We know we serve a critical role in our community and are committed to fulfilling our mission," Thompson stated.
She noted that staff members have been following recommended COVID-19 protocols and provides regular screenings of all guests, staff, and volunteers. "Robust cleaning procedures" are now being performed in high traffic areas.
Below is the text of the letter sent out Thursday.
Dear Supporters,
It is the Poverello Center’s top priority to keep our guests, volunteers, and staff as healthy and as safe as possible. Starting at the very beginning of the pandemic Poverello Staff followed protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Housing and Urban Development and began working with Partnership Health Clinic to provide regular screenings of all guests, staff, and volunteers of the Poverello Center. Staff have also been asked to monitor their own symptoms and not come into work if they are not feeling well. In addition, we began robust cleaning procedures in high traffic areas of our building.
On August 11th we were informed that a Poverello Center staff person tested positive for COVID-19. We immediately ran through our contact tracing protocols and identified any close contacts that this staff person had and asked them to quarantine at home. We have also quickly arranged for all close contacts to receive a COVID-19 test administered by the Community Medical Center. This testing identified one additional positive COVID result and we are going through the same contacting tracing protocols with that person. Everyone who is considered a close contact with either person with positive test results has been contacted by the health department. Being associated with the Poverello Center does not mean you are a close contact.
Since March, The Poverello Center has had a plan in place for when we got a positive COVID test result, and we are following that plan. To be able to continue to provide our core services of food and shelter we will be fully closing the Poverello Center during the day. Sack lunches provided by the Missoula Food Bank will be handed out at the Poverello from 4:00 to 7:00 PM and doors will open at 8:45 PM for emergency overnight shelter. The Poverello Center doors will be closed starting at 8:00 AM every morning. This will be the schedule for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, the Pov isn’t immune to COVID which has infected 5268 Montanans. We will continue to follow the recommended protocols to keep our team and guests safe. We know we serve a critical role in our community and are committed to fulfilling our mission.
The community can support these efforts with financial donations to the Poverello Center (www.poverellocenter.org/donate [r20.rs6.net]) and the Missoula Food Bank (www.missoulafoodbank.org [r20.rs6.net]).
Sincerely,
Amy Allison Thompson, LCSW
Executive Director
The Poverello Center