OGDENSBURG – The City of Ogdensburg and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center have taken several precautionary steps to maintain preparedness for any potential exposure to COVID-19, more commonly referred to as coronavirus.

In an effort to ensure the safety of all hospital patients, visitors, and employees, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center (CHMC) has implemented visitor restrictions and are planning collaborative strategies with Carthage Area Hospital to address any potential COVID-19 outbreaks.

In accordance with the CDC and DOH, both facilities have instituted visitor restrictions. All visitors must be 18 years of age or older and patients should not have more than two visitors at a time. It is also encouraged to limit patient visitation if you experience any of the following symptoms: fever, cough or shortness of breath.

CHMC and CAH are enacting screening protocols for all those that enter CHMC’s hospital, clinic, and other facilities.

“We have ensured that we have a protocols and plans in place to reduce the risks of spreading this infection,” David Ferris, chief nursing officer at CHMC said. “CHMC is working in coordination with state and local officials to safeguard our patients, staff, and visitors from COVID-19. We ask those visiting our facilities to be patient with the additional questions asked. They are a necessary part of our screening process.”

The screening questions will help clinicians ensure that those presenting symptoms are treated with the appropriate cautions to halt the spread of the virus.

The St. Lawrence County Departments of Public Health and Emergency Management Services are the lead agencies for addressing any potential spread of the virus within the County. City staff participated March 12 in the first of what will be regular conference calls organized by the county to share information and guidance with its municipal partners, including the city.

The city is also canceling all rentals at the Richard G. Lockwood Civic Center and the Dobisky Visitors’ Center until further notice. The City is undertaking these preventive measures out of an abundance of caution during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. These measures have been instituted for the safety of both the public and our employees.

“Those having rentals at the facilities will be contacted for refunds. We apologize for the inconvenience,” a statement from the Ogdensburg Parks and Recreation Department said.

There is a link at the bottom of the home page of the city’s website, www.ogdensburg.org that directs viewers to information being provided by federal and state agencies, including precautionary measures that all citizens can take. These measures have been widely reported by the media, and were reviewed on the first conference call:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap. Wash for at least 20 seconds.

• Cover your mouth with your sleeve or with tissue if you cough.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Avoid shaking hands with others.

• Stay home if you are sick.

• Frequently clean and disinfect surfaces and fixtures that are touched.

• Practice “social distancing,” which means staying three to six feet away from other people, and participating electronically in meetings versus physical attendance.

The county is completing an inventory of the available personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals and emergency responders, and will be submitting requests to the state for additional equipment. New York State will be distributing hand sanitizer on a priority basis, with the areas of the state that already have been hit the hardest receiving top priority. The county also is coordinating with border agencies in order to be current on protocols being used.

The City of Ogdensburg says it is taking all possible precautions, paying attention to keeping countertops and door handles clean at all city facilities, coordinating emergency response preparedness with the county and with area agencies, and following the operational protocols already in place in our departments for community response. The city currently has no events scheduled that would meet the mass-gathering threshold. The city says it will remain vigilant and current on the status of COVID-19, and will provide updates as necessary on our website and through media announcements.