NRAO/GBO update - Wed Apr 29th
This is week seven in Infectious Disease Operating Status (IDOS). The North American NRAO/GBO instruments are all operational. IT systems are supporting us well – big thanks to the IT team. We are planning to remain in IDOS until Monday, June 1st 2020.
I have received no new reports of NRAO or GBO staff receiving medical care for COVID-19. Strict physical distancing, and monitoring whenever possible your external interactions (necessary shopping, people visits, etc.) remain important. Please contact Jody Bolyard jbolyard@nrao.edu) or me if you need more information regarding COVID-19. If you or family members encounter illness (tested for COVID-19 or not), please let HR know at some point so we can assess overall staff health. Please remember to wear a face covering if you enter one of our facilities.
Across both NRAO and GBO, we are continuing to develop our office and field (engineering) protocols and procedures to bring more people back into the facilities in coming months. This week, in both WV and NM we began to gently ramp-up some of our corrective and preventative maintenance actions for the telescopes. This is important to keep them online. Nationally and regionally, we are seeing early phases of restrictions being removed in day-to-day life. While many of us are fortunate to be located in areas with relatively low rates of infection (CV, GB, Socorro, VLBA sites) where some lifting of restrictions may be feasible, in general the advice of senior medical scientists is to: continue avoiding public places, wear face coverings when in public, maintain physical distance separations (6 ft+), avoid potentially contaminated surfaces and items, practice regular hand washing and sterilization, etc. We are approaching a period where there is going to be a lot of complex and conflicting advice and requests regarding our private and public lives, and in my opinion great caution is required for quite some time yet to avoid a second wave of infection. AUI, NRAO and GBO leadership are committed to providing all of you the safest work environment possible.
My next note will be Wed May 6th. Any staff member with questions, concerns or comments, please contact your supervisor, Department Head, Site Director, or me. As this situation continues, new challenges will emerge and I welcome hearing from you if there is something we can help with, or you have suggestions. The website containing all our COVID support information is: https://info.nrao.edu/covid-19
Tony Beasley
