COVID-19 is an extremely contagious virus that spreads easily through
person-to-person contact. As with any social activity, participation
in Girl Scouts could present the risk of contracting COVID-19. While
Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada takes every safety and preventative
precaution, Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada can in no way warrant that
COVID-19 infection will not occur through participation in troop or
council programs.”
Girl Scout Membership – Insurance
The Girl Scout Basic
Activity insurance that comes with the Girl Scout membership does not
cover illness. This is why it is very important for individuals that
have come in contact with a person that has symptoms of an illness or
has possible exposure to COVID-19 do not attend meetings or events.
Avoiding Exposure
Follow the
resources developed by the CDC or Nevada Health
Response website .
Share these with girls, parents/caregivers, and volunteers and
ensure that they are practiced during meetings and activities. Place
signs in the meeting or activity space to remind girls and
volunteers to engage in everyday preventive actions
to help prevent the
spread of COVID-19. Signs should include:
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Cough and sneeze into a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash and wash or sanitize your hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Wash hands if you do touch.
- Volunteers, girls, and parents
should be reminded to make sure temperatures are taken prior to
group interaction to confirm the individual is not running a fever
and temperature is a normal 98.6 degrees. Members with fever or
temperature higher than 98.6 should skip the in-person gathering
until their temperature is normal.
Personal contact
Hugs, handshakes, “high-fives,” and even activities like the
friendship circle or squeeze can transmit COVID-19 from person to
person. Refrain from these gestures for the time being. Create a safe
way for girls and volunteers to greet and end meetings instead (like
tapping elbows).
Singing
If you normally close your meetings with a song,
make certain girls and adults are all wearing masks. Singing and
shouting both project germs farther than talking, ask your girls to
either hum their closing song, or sing quietly, and always, of course,
with their masks on.
First Aid Supplies
Troop first aid supplies should
include COVID-19 prevention items including hand sanitizer (at least
60% alcohol), tissues, disposable facemasks, and disinfectants. Trash
baskets or bags should be supplied for meeting and activity spaces, if
not already available. Make sure that the trash baskets (or bags) are
easily accessible for girls. Disposable or no-contact thermometers may
be added to supplies if available and not cost-prohibitive, however,
parents should be checking temperatures and allowing their girl(s) to
join group activities only when temperatures are normal.
First Aid / CPR Training
Keep skills up to date for any
emergency. Check GSSNV
Events page for upcoming in person First Aid/CPR courses.
Disinfectants and Disinfecting
Routinely
clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are frequently
touched (i.e., tabletops, markers, scissors, etc.). Use a household
cleaner, or see the EPA’s
list of effective cleaners approved for use against COVID-19.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and
disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and
contact time, etc.).
Household bleach is effective against COVID-19. Check that the bleach is not expired and determine if appropriate to use on a given surface. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Bleach solution is effective up to 24 hours when properly diluted. To prepare a bleach solution, mix:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
- 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
Girl Scout Daisies – Juniors should not mix the above bleach solution. Girls should be supervised at all times when using disinfectant/cleaning solutions. See the CDC’s website for more on cleaning and disinfecting community facilities.
FDA Warning
The FDA advised consumers (6/19/2020)
not to use any hand sanitizer manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV in
Mexico, due to the potential presence of methanol (wood alcohol), a
substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or
ingested. FDA has identified the following products manufactured by Eskbiochem:
- All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)
- Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
- Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
- The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
- Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)
Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and should not be used due to its toxic effects. Stay completely away from sanitizers containing methanol.
Consumers who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol should seek immediate treatment, which is critical for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning.
Face Coverings
Face coverings are no longer required during indoor Girl Scout
meetings and activities. Any member or caregiver can continue to wear
masks at meeting, events and activities. As the COVID variants are
constantly changing in severity GSSNV may modify safety requirements
and require facial covering for certain council program for our members.
Use of Gloves
To limit the spread of COVID-19 and food
borne pathogens members are responsible for providing and wearing
gloves. We recommend using latex free gloves to protect those with
allergies or washable to protect the environment. Use gloves when:
- Cleaning
- Serving food
- Distributing materials (program supplies, recruitment giveaways, etc.)
For guidelines on handling snacks and meals refer to the “Planning for in-person meeting” section of this document.