To our Clients, Employees and Industry Partners:
COVID-19 continues to be an emerging, rapidly evolving pandemic, information which we are closely monitoring from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), Office of the NYS Governor, the NYC Department of Health (“DOH”) and the NYC Office of Emergency Management (“OEM”) as well as other non-government sources.
To our Clients, Employees and Industry Partners:
COVID-19 continues to be an emerging, rapidly evolving pandemic, information which we are closely monitoring from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), Office of the NYS Governor, the NYC Department of Health (“DOH”) and the NYC Office of Emergency Management (“OEM”) as well as other non-government sources.
At Solstice, the security and safety of our residents and our office and building services employees are our highest priority. For this reason, we began early in issuing communications and interim guidance to our residents and to our employees with respect to defending against contracting and spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Our overall goal is to continue as close to normal operations as is possible, with the primary objectives of maintaining security, essential services and open lines of communication.
To this end, we have posted our communications to our website so that our residents and employees may have easy access to them and have developed the Solstice COVID-19 Community Strong Initiative, which provides for some pragmatic solutions and recommendations as follows:
1. First and foremost, to the senior and disabled members of our managed communities, who we are told are the most vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we are concerned for you and are here to help in any way we can. For this reason, we have set up an email covidsilver@solstice.us.com and Ext. 335 on our phone system, to receive your requests for assistance as they relate specifically to this pandemic. If store delivery services stop, and you are afraid or are otherwise unable walk to a nearby grocery store or pharmacy to pick-up essential groceries and/or medications, please email or call us. While we cannot guarantee that we can fulfill your request directly, what we will do is broadcast your request for assistance to our entire network of nearby managed properties in hopes of getting you the essentials you need through neighboring Samaritans.
We will communicate with you and put you in direct contact with those neighboring Samaritans who respond to our requests and who are willing to assist you. Please make sure that you inspect your essentials inventories on a daily basis, such that you provide us with a minimum of 48 hours to seek assistance on your behalf.
Please do not use or jam up this email or phone extension, if you are not in the risk group.
2. In general, consider identifying and pairing with another household inside the building and setting up a buddy system to look out for one another, particularly the elderly and infirm. This may include keeping track of each other's kids when the adult goes shopping, calling a neighbor to see if all is well, or helping out with running minor errands.
3. Encourage social responsibility and take all reasonable actions to minimize the spread of the virus. Do not loiter in the lobby or other common areas of the building. Do not get into a crowded elevator, which while a subjective statement pre-COVID-19, may now mean no more than two people facing opposite directions. Please encourage and do not be offended by this practice – this is our current reality. Consider eliminating or reducing the number of social gatherings and playdates.
4. Given that some residents have left NYC for other locations, you may hear less noise above, below or adjacent to you. However, you may also hear more noise given that more people are working from home and schools have been closed. Please be understanding if you are hearing more noise from your neighbors. They might be trying to keep young children, pets or themselves entertained to defend against boredom and/or loneliness.
5. If it’s not critical, let it slide. Please recognize that building employees (and if the need arises resident volunteers) will interact with a lot of people and we want to make those interactions as safe as possible for them and for you. This might make things a little less personable then you are accustomed to over the next few weeks. It’s not that our employees or your volunteer neighbors care less about you, it’s that they care a great deal about you, by practicing the CDC recommended social distancing guidelines, which includes maintaining, whenever possible, a 6-foot distance, and keeping discussion to a minimum.
6. Finally, Solstice is operating remotely on a 24/7 basis. We are here to help you to the maximum extent possible, but please be reminded that we too are contending with this unprecedented and trying period.
On behalf of myself and the Solstice Executive Committee, we wish you well. STAY SAFE!
Alex Kalajian, CEO