March 17th, 2020
Grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open, and restaurants may stay open to provide takeout food only.
Also staying open: veterinary services, gas stations, and auto repair shops, hardware and other home supply stores, banks and laundry services.
Businesses that remain open are encouraged to keep both employees and customers six feet apart, including while standing in line. But there are no specific limitations on the number of people allowed inside.
As a part of the government’s emergency response to COVID-19, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is making available low-interest economic injury disaster loans. You qualify if your state has declared an emergency as a result of COVID-19, you find your practice is being significantly impacted by the COVID-19 disaster, and you do not have access to a line of credit or traditional bank loan. If you meet these criteria you may want to consider reaching out to your state SBA office to review your qualifications for an SBA emergency loan.
You can find more information on the SBA website at this link.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes that the need for personal protective equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks, surgical and isolation gowns, and surgical suits, may outpace the supply available to healthcare organization during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
The following conservation strategies for use by healthcare organizations and personnel are categorized for a range of needs and supply levels and are intended to assist healthcare organizations as they determine operating procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak. These strategies do not cover N95 respirators and are not limited to use in the care of patients infected with COVID-19. The FDA’s recommendations are intended to augment, and not intended to replace, specific controls and procedures developed by healthcare organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) to aid in infection prevention and control.
There is much to learn about the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on what is currently known about the virus, spread from person-to-person happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets. The transmission of novel coronavirus to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented. Transmission of coronavirus, in general, occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through fomites. Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for the prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in community settings.
Track confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the globe with Bing.
Health officials across the U.S. and all over the world are on high alert due to COVID-19, a disease that causes flu-like symptoms in people, including mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Veterinary professionals are receiving questions from their clients and their teams, and the AVMA is pleased to be able to provide credible information and resources to assist with responses to those questions.
To ensure the resources we provide you are as accurate and up-to-date as possible in this continuously evolving environment, the AVMA is in regular contact with CDC, FDA, and USDA; other state, national, and international veterinary and public health expert groups; and intergovernmental organizations (such as the WHO and OIE) to learn the latest developments and their potential impacts on veterinarians, patients, and clients.