We understand that the spread of COVID-19 into rural, remote or Indigenous communities would place a truly challenging burden on residents and could overwhelm community health resources. EDI is taking active steps to protect the communities in which we live and work through the actions we take. Our goal is to be cautious and respectful while conducting any field work during this pandemic.
As many of you know we work with Indigenous and community groups on many projects that are of interest to them. There are times that our work on these and other projects will require some of our staff to travel to or through your community. Given the current situation, we want to assure your community that EDI is planning and implementing all work in a manner that addresses and minimizes the risks associated with COVID-19. For each project, we are assessing the following:
- Is the work critical and/or time sensitive in nature? If not, then we will postpone.
- Do we have a safety plan in place with appropriate mitigation specific for the community and work task?
- Have we or our client connected with the communities that we are working in or near and are they comfortable with our approach?
EDI continues to provide services during this period, by using adaptive approaches, community-sensitive travel plans, and reduced community contact to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 by our workers. Some of these measures include:
- We are advising our staff to practice physical distancing both at work and away from work to follow the guidelines established by Public Health Officers.
- Only crew members who are symptom free and following physical distancing protocols will be allowed to complete field activities.
- When we must travel through communities, we will not be stopping unless necessary. This includes planning ahead to ensure we have enough food, gas and supplies.
- Our crews have masks and gloves in the event of an emergency that requires interaction with others.
EDI acknowledges that the COVID-19 situation has impacted communities in many ways and the situation is evolving daily. We are monitoring the situation closely and we will develop and implement appropriate measures to create a healthy and safe work environment for everyone. Through this challenging time, EDI is committed to delivering services in a safe, logical, efficient, and community-sensitive way.
Bob Redden, CEO