To Residents:
We are reaching out to all residents to bring you up-to-date on the position and actions of West Gate House regarding the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
We want to reassure each of you that we are working closely with Howard Landman, West Gate House’s managing agent at Siren Management. Together we are ensuring that the building has the recommended precautions implemented. Measures taken with the health and safety of all residents in mind are:
• Increased frequency of cleaning of high-traffic surfaces in common areas (door handles and knobs, elevator buttons, railings, mailboxes, laundry machine surfaces).
• Termination of all renovations, contractor or non-emergency work within individual apartments and the building. This includes our planned work to upgrade the laundry rooms, which will now be postponed to mid to late May. New alteration applications will not be approved until further notice. Only emergency work will be addressed.
• No Open Houses and apartment showings will be held.
• Building staff have been instructed to use their discretion if asked to enter a resident’s apartment and may choose to decline if they feel that the environment is unsafe. Building staff will not enter a unit if it is under quarantine unless it is an emergency situation.
• We have ordered a few step-on rubbish bins for each building to test as a more hygienic way of discarding trash. If this type of bin can hold up to our regular wear-and-tear, we’ll order more.
• Hiring additional staff to help with cleaning. We’ve hired a part-time porter, Jeremy Matos, to help with cleaning tasks in both buildings effective March 30th. Jeremy will report to Sam.
These building measures should not be considered a replacement for personal and household prevention measures as recommended by the CDC and other official local and state health organizations. While we work to take the precautions that we can, we also ask you to do your part to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our building by doing the following:
• Maintain six feet distance from each other. Please do not congregate in the lobby, courtyards, or other common areas, and maintain social distancing when traveling through these areas.
• Limit elevator use and crowding. If you’re able to take the stairs, we encourage you to do so to reduce the risk of exposure. If the elevator arrives and someone else is already on it, consider waiving them on and taking the elevator once it’s free.
• Limit visitors as much as possible, and do not allow visitors into the building who are not feeling well.
• For workers in your home (such as child or elder caregivers, pet care, or housecleaners) please make sure they understand that if they have a potential exposure or illness, the building asks that they do not come into the building. Please ask them to wash their hands upon arrival.
• Remember to wash your hands after touching common areas such as garbage and recycling bins, mailboxes, laundry machines, etc. Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, hand sanitizer can be used. Avoid touching your face.
Building staff are key to everyone else’s ability to self-isolate , so it’s important that we help them to do their best at avoiding excess exposure and staying healthy and safe. To that end, please consider only contacting building staff for assistance with your apartment if it’s an emergency issue or something that requires immediate attention.
Residents can also help out by lessening the burden on our building and staff by pitching in with the following:
• Retrieve packages from the mailbox areas on a timely basis (and don’t forget to wash your hands afterwards).
• Help our plumbing system by disposing of disinfectant wipes, personal wipes and paper towels in the trash can and not down the toilet.
• Since more people are home more often, we’re all generating more waste. Please do your part by breaking down boxes before putting them in the recycling area.
If you feel ill or suspect you have a case of COVID-19, please stay in your apartment and contact your health care provider by telephone. If you do not have a health care provider, you can call 311 to find health care. If you feel you have life-threatening symptoms, such as a severe breathing problem, call 911.
If you have a confirmed case of COVID-19, we would appreciate your notifying the Board, Siren Management or the Superintendent. We can help facilitate necessary food and goods delivery to you so that you can remain in the appropriate isolation/quarantine while you recover as your health care provider and public health officials advise you. We’ll also work with the Department of Health to ensure that other residents can take appropriate measures. We will not disclose the names of any residents who test positive for COVID-19. Rather, we’ll notify residents of a positive test result in the building but will not give specifics. Residents’ medical confidentiality will be protected.
As we come together as a community, we share a big “thank you” to those of you who have posted offers to assist other residents with errands and shopping. The Board would like to go one step further by establishing a list of neighbors who’d like to volunteer and help those in need. If you are able to assist with getting groceries, supplies, delivering mail or whatever a resident is in need of, please contact the Board at wghpresident@gmail.com . Likewise, if you’re elderly, disabled, have a pre-existing health conditions or just in need of general assistance at this time and wish to minimize your outside exposure, please also contact the Board or Howard Landman to let us know and we’ll help to connect you with one of our building volunteers for assistance.
If you have specific questions about procedures within the building, please feel free to contact Howard Landman at 917-691-4585 or via email at hlandman@sirenmgt.com
If the Board can assist in any way with your concerns or questions, please contact us at wghpresident@gmail.com . This is also a good time to let the Board know if you’re spending this extended “Stay At Home” period in another location (relative’s home, 2nd residence outside the city, etc.). Since our primary mode of communication with residents is via hard-copy memos under each apartment door, those who are away for extended periods might miss important updates. Knowing if we need to use alternate methods for contacting residents is helpful.
Thank you for your support to help ensure the safety of all of our residents and building staff during a challenging time. We send our best wishes and hope that you and your families remain in good health.
Board of Directors
West Gate House, Inc.