Covid case shuts down Sonoma Boys & Girls Club program

A statement released today by the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley, signed by VP of Programs Joe Hardeman:

“On the morning of October 9th, Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley leadership were notified that a parent of one of their current members had tested positive for COVID-19.

“Safety being the number one priority of Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, Club staff immediately began to notify parents of children in the pod where the child of the positive parent was conducting their distance learning, as well as all other parents of kids who had recently attended the Club. The child of the infected parent will be tested and results will be shared with Club leadership who will notify all current families and staff.

“Club staff will all be sent home to quarantine once all children have been picked up and the Club is arranging for testing to be made available to all staff members.

“Club leadership is collaborating with the appropriate public health officials and adhering to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to privately inform anyone determined to have been in close contact with this child.

“In an abundance of caution, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley will be closed for ten days in order to allow those potentially exposed to quarantine and be tested. Unless more positive test results are found, the Club will reopen to provide distance learning support on Monday, October 19th. Additionally, the Club facility will be extensively cleaned and all staff will be required to provide negative COVID-19 tests before returning to work.

“The planned expansion to additional sites to provide more distance learning support in partnership with the Sonoma Valley Unified School District is also on hold.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley has been operating summer and distance learning programming since June and this is the first case of potential exposure. Club staff and their members have been adhering to strict safety protocols to ensure the safety of all those who enter the building. Parents must drop their kids off in the parking lot and may not leave their vehicles. Everyone in the car when a child is dropped off must confirm they are free of symptoms and have not been exposed to their knowledge. Additionally, all staff and kids have their temperatures taken before they may enter the building and masks are required at all times once inside. The Club is also deep-cleaned nightly and restrooms are cleaned every thirty minutes.

“If you are having symptoms that align with COVID-19, please contact your healthcare provider or, if you do not have a healthcare provider, please contact your local health department immediately and indicate that you may have been exposed to the virus.