The health and well-being of our Ukrainian American community is and should always be a priority for our community’s leadership. While the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) intends to maintain our local and national community advocacy efforts during this
critical time in Ukraine, as well as in the midst of a
local, state and federal election cycle in the United States, due to the global pandemic of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the changing nature of emergency declarations and travel policies, our team in New York City and Washington, D.C. will begin practicing
social distancing and working remotely when possible.
At this moment, there are over 1,500
confirmed cases in the United States and 19 states have declared some level of state emergency. In New York City alone there are now 95 confirmed cases, and the mayor announced that we could have 1,000 cases by next week.
Based on the guidance being issued by the
White House, the
World Health Organization and the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UCCA supports the initiative to postpone community events and activities indefinitely, or else move to have these online. Unfortunately, some annual events have had to be canceled for this year already.
Furthermore, the
Educational Council of UCCA is in communication with the President of UCCA and local Ridna Shkola schools across the country as they determine how best to ensure the safety of students while continuing to provide Ukrainian education going forward.
According to the CDC (
coronavirus.gov), the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
- Avoid in-person gatherings to minimize and hopefully prevent the spread of the virus.
Furthermore, some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness. This includes individuals in their older years and people who have serious chronic medical conditions. UCCA calls upon our community to assist our elderly and homebound members with simple services such as groceries, phone calls and to check in on their status. This pandemic risks isolating people. Healthy adults can do their part to mitigate the loneliness of the older population by introducing them to technology such as FaceTime, WhatsApp or Skype, and practicing good hand hygiene habits when they visit those that are homebound.
UCCA further urges our community leaders to heed the best advice of local government officials and public health authorities with regards to events already scheduled to take place during these are difficult times. Our primary concern is the safety and health of our Ukrainian American community. We urge you to stay healthy and do whatever you can to help one another.
