Covid-19 Close to Home
Something Labs paused our impermeable gown production this past week after two members of our production team tested positive for Covid-19. We wanted to let our community and supporters know about this decision and share this information, as it has been part of our journey and highlights the risk of conducting any activity indoors with groups of people.
These two members of our team were part of a small quaranteam with an individual who began showing symptoms after they gathered on 4th of July weekend. Our two team members had not shown symptoms, but got tested after receiving news of their proximity to an infected individual. Last Sunday we found out they both tested positive.
Upon hearing this news, GownTown decided to shut down for the week to ensure the safety of all of our team members. Everyone who had spent time in GownTown was informed and encouraged to get tested and quarantine until their results came in. So far, all tests have been negative.
The week has served as an important learning experience, both to examine our own practices and safety protocols for gaps, as well as to learn about testing resources and barriers to access in the Bay Area.
On a broader scale, we’ve discovered that many testing facilities in San Francisco do not have adequate accessible resources in languages other than English. Kristy, our GownTown Manager, has shifted her role from overseeing GownTown operations to serving as facilitator to get many of our team members testing appointments, where language barriers otherwise prevent them from scheduling. Sam has been working with SF DPH to help get translation services for testing sites that lack them.
We are doing everything in our power to maintain a safe working environment for our entire team, be it the physical working environment, or continued off-site support from ‘management’ to ensure everyone can access testing resources regardless of language barrier or ability to pay. We will restart production next week, with additional safety protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of our team.
