COVID-19 UPDATE

The ELMHS Museum and Archives are open to the public by appointment only. 
  • Face masks are required in compliance with Executive Order 20-81. Visitors without a mask may purchase one from either ELMHS facility for $1 each.
  • Stay home if you are feeling sick or if you have been in contact with someone who is sick.
  • Stay home if you or somone you have been in contact with has recently had COVID-19.
  • Maintain a minimum 6 foot distance between yourself and others.

ELMHS Covid-19 Preparedness Plan

​The Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society (ELMHS) is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our staff and visitors. To ensure we have a safe and healthy workplace, we have developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive Director and members of the Board of Directors are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces and communities, and that requires full cooperation among our staff and visitors. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of all persons in our workplaces.

Paid staff and board members are responsible for implementing and complying with all aspects of this COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. ELMHS volunteers have our full support in enforcing the provisions of this policy and we encourage our volunteers to ask questions, raise safety and health concerns and offer suggestions related to the plan and its implementation.

For the remainder of this document the term “staff” includes all ELMHS board members, paid employees, volunteers, and any other person authorized to do work on behalf of ELMHS; the term “visitor” is a member, donor, researcher, or anyone else at an ELMHS site who is not a staff person as defined above. 

We are serious about safety and health and keeping our staff working at ELMHS. Staff involvement is essential in developing and implementing a successful COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. We have involved our staff in this process by asking their opinions and giving them the opportunity to voice any concerns. Our COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows State of Minnesota Industry Guidance for our business, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines, federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards related to safety and health precautions required in response to COVID-19 and applicable executive orders. The plan addresses the following:
  • hygiene and respiratory etiquette;
  • controls for social distancing;
  • housekeeping- cleaning, disinfecting, and decontamination;
  • prompt identification and isolation of sick persons;
  • communications and training that will be provided to managers and workers; and
  • management and supervision necessary to ensure effective implementation of the plan.
 
Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette 
Basic infection prevention measures are always being implemented at our sites. Staff is instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but especially at the beginning and end of their shift, prior to any mealtimes and after using the restroom. Hand-sanitizer dispensers (that use sanitizers of greater than 60% alcohol) are available to staff and visitors at the entrances of the Museum and Archives so they can be used for hand hygiene in place of soap and water, as long as hands are not visibly soiled. 

In addition to following basic hand hygiene, staff may choose to wear nitrile gloves provided by ELMHS as an added precaution. Gloves are available at no cost to staff at both the ELMHS Museum and the Archives. Visitors to the archives are required to wear gloves when handling collections materials. When necessary, gloves will be provided to Archives visitors at no cost. 
ELMHS staff must always wear a face mask when interacting with visitors. Visitors to ELMHS sites are also required to wear a mask. The mask must completely cover from the bridge of the nose to the chin. A limited supply of disposable masks is available at no cost to staff. Visitors may purchase a mask from either ELMHS location for $1 each.  We are encouraging everyone to bring their own mask, if they have one, to help conserve supplies.

Staff and visitors are instructed to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose, and eyes with their hands. They should dispose of tissues in provided trash receptacles and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward. Respiratory etiquette is demonstrated on posters and supported by making tissues and trash receptacles available to all staff and visitors.

Social Distancing Controls
The occupancy of ELMHS facilities will not exceed 25% as outlined in the guidelines set forth in the State of Minnesota’s requirements for Indoor Recreational Entertainment Venues. Social distancing of six feet will be implemented and maintained between staff and visitors through the following engineering and administrative protocols:  

   1. Archives:
The Archives is open by appointment only with a 10 to 15-minute window between appointments to allow staff time to disinfect common areas. Appointments may include more than one visitor if they are from the same household and the maximum occupancy of the archives does not exceed 3 individuals (including staff and visitors) at any one time.  The visitor(s) will be seated at least 6 feet from where the staff is working, and staff members will also work at least 6 feet from each other.
​   2. Museum:
The museum will be open May-October by appointment only and will have a one-way flow. Visitors are to enter through the single door on the south facing side of the building and exit through the double doors. To comply with social distancing standards, one family group will be allowed per exhibit space with a maximum occupancy of 16 people in the museum at one time. Each family group may progress to the next exhibit when the previous group has exited, making sure to leave a minimum 6 foot separation between families.

Housekeeping
Regular housekeeping practices are being implemented, including routine sanitizing of the workplace and frequent sanitizing of high-touch areas such as doorknobs, tables, countertops, and other surfaces. Staff has been instructed that personal equipment and tools such as phones and computer keyboards should not be shared and, if shared, should be disinfected between users. Appropriate and effective cleaning and disinfectant supplies have been purchased and are available for use in accordance with product labels, safety data sheets and manufacturer specifications, and are being used with required personal protective equipment for the product. The maximum amount of fresh air is being brought into the workplace, air recirculation is being limited and ventilation systems are being properly used and maintained.

Prompt identification & isolation of sick persons
Staff has been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess workers’ health status prior to entering the workplace and for workers to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms. 
  • Staff is to use the Mayo Clinic’s health self-assessment tool at least once a week to help determine if they could have the COVID-19 virus. The tool is simple to use and does not expose any sensitive information. To access the Mayo’s assessment tool visit www.mayoclinic.org/covid-19-self-assessment-tool. Once completed, staff will email or print the certification page and turn it in to the Executive Director. If the tool indicates that a staff member may have the virus, or the staff member reports any symptoms associated with the COVID-19 virus, they cannot return to ELMHS until their symptoms subside and are cleared by a certified healthcare professional. 
  • There are new sign-in sheets at both the archives and the museum. Staff and visitors are required to sign in with their name and some form of contact information to help the CDC or similar health organization with contact tracing in case there is an outbreak. The information from this new sign in sheet will only be used for contact tracing unless the visitor indicates they would like us to add them to the mailing list or contact them for other purposes. 
  • Should a staff member of ELMHS test positive for the COVID-19 virus, the Executive Director, or appropriate board member, will inform other staff and visitors that they may have been exposed. Personal information of the infected individual will be kept confidential so as not to expose personal information.

Communications, Training, & Supervision
This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan was communicated via email to all staff on July 21, 2020. Managers and supervisors are to monitor how effective the program has been implemented by gathering staff and visitor feedback, and by monitoring how staff and visitors are following the new protocols. Management and workers are to work through this new program together and update the training as necessary. This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan will be updated as necessary.

What visitors can do to minimize transmission
Visitors are encouraged to conduct a self-check of their body temperature prior to arrival. Signage is posted asking visitors to stay home if they have any of the symptoms compatible with COVID-19, or have a household member experiencing those symptoms. If a visitor becomes unwell while at an ELMHS facility, they will be asked immediately to return home or seek medical care. 

Additional protections and protocols for receiving and exchanging payment Contactless payment will be used whenever possible. When contactless payment is not possible, the following protocols will be followed at each site:
 
   1. Archives
A minimum distance of 6 feet will be maintained between the visitor and the ELMHS staff member. The visitor will be instructed to place their form of payment on the table and not directly into the staff member’s hand. At the completion of the transaction, the staff member will return the change or card to the visitor by placing it on the table. The visitor will be encouraged to use the available hand sanitizer. Then, the volunteer will wipe down the entire table area and either wash their hands or use the hand sanitizer provided.
   2. Museum
A minimum distance of 6 feet will be maintained between the visitor and the ELMHS staff member, or the staff member will utilize the ticket window located at the entrance of the ELMHS museum. The ELMHS staff member will stand on one side of the ticket window, and the visitor will stand on the other. The visitor will be instructed to place their form of payment on the counter and not directly into the staff member’s hand. At the completion of the transaction, the staff member will return the change or card to the visitor by placing it on the counter. The visitor will be encouraged to use the available hand sanitizer. Then, the volunteer will wipe down the entire counter area and either wash their hands or use the hand sanitizer provided

Additional protections and protocols for managing occupancy 
 At the ELMHS Museum two staff members will be scheduled at one time. Their responsibilities will be as follows:
Worker 1: Must be a Keyholder. Posted near the entrance to limit the number of people entering and explain protocols. The worker must also have a clear view of the exit from his/her post.
Worker 2: Ensures social distancing protocols are being followed throughout the exhibits. Assists Worker 1 as needed.

Additional protections and protocols to limit face-to-face interactions 
Visitors will not be permitted at the archives or the museum without an appointment. The scheduled staff member will be responsible for making sure the occupancy does not exceed 3 individuals at any one time in the archives or 16 individuals in the museum. 
 
Resources:
© 2016 Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society. All rights reserved. PO Box 305, Excelsior, MN  55331.