December 9, 2020
The management team at Sycamore Services, Inc. has been closely monitoring COVID-19 data and trends since the pandemic began earlier this year. Our local community is now seeing an unprecedented rise in cases and positivity rates. As of today, Hendricks County has reached “Red” status as determined by the Indiana State Department of Health, indicating high levels of virus transmission in our community.
Based on this development, Sycamore Services will temporarily close the Work Center beginning Thursday, December 10. We will reassess the situation weekly, based on available data, and either extend our closure or verify a reopening date. You will be notified by email with status updates.
This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We know how important the Work Center is to you for developing and maintaining pre-vocational skills but given the positivity rates and the risk for complications from the COVID‐19 virus, we believe that it’s in the best interest of everyone to stay safe and self-isolate during this time of record-high community transmission.
The following information shows the method and data we are using to make our determination about closing and reopening: the information is based on Indiana State Department of Health County Metrics Map for All Tests and then Positivity Rate within those categories, the following applies (the map can be found by visiting https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/):
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If a county has a Weekly Score that results in Red Color Coding:
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Day and Work Center facilities will close; Virtual Services occurring as able.
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If a county is marked Orange due to Weekly Score, then the following will apply:
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7-Day All Tests Positivity Rate will be monitored.
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If the Rate is trending up, a review is conducted to determine whether the above procedures for Red Color Coding should be implemented prior to the county being marked Red.
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The 7-Day All Tests Positivity Trend Rate and the number of Weekly Cases per 100,000 Residents are also taken into consideration.
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To reopen services, the Orange Color Coding Evaluation will be followed in reverse.
Color Coding Criteria:
Weekly Score
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■ Blue (0 and .5)
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■ Yellow (1 and 1.5)
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■ Orange (2 and 2.5)
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■ Red (3) [Hendricks County’s current score is 3 and trending up]
Weekly Cases Per 100,000 Residents
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■ Less Than 10 new cases (0)
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■ 10 to 99 new cases (1)
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■ 100 to 199 new cases (2)
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■ 200 or more (3) [Hendricks County is currently at 719 per 100,000 residents]
7-Day All Tests Positivity Rate
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■ Less than 5% (0)
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■ 5% to 9.9% (1)
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■ 10% to 14.9% (2)
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■ 15% or greater (3) [Hendricks County’s rate is currently 17.56% and trending up]
Our leadership team will continue with regular briefings from various government agencies, including the CDC, Indiana State Department of Health, Family and Social Services Administration and other agencies to ensure that we are doing all we can for individuals and families served. Sycamore Services does offer a variety of virtual activities available through our Recreational Therapy department and we encourage you to participate in those services for socialization and continued skills development. For more information about participating in virtual services, contact Susan Norman at slnorman@sycamoreservices.numediamarketing.com.
For more information about the COVID‐19 virus, please visit:
∙ Indiana State Department of Health online at https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/
∙ World Health Organization (WHO) at https://www.who.int/
If you have any questions about the current situation or alternative services, please contact Aimee Ketterer, Director of Community Relations and Business Solutions, at alketterer@sycamoreservices.numediamarketing.com, or our main office at 317‐745‐4715 and ask for an HR/QA staff member. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time. We hope you and your family will remain safe and healthy.
