CARE Canada taking steps in response to COVID-19 to protect staff and community
OTTAWA, 13 March 2020 – As an organization deeply concerned by the continuing global spread of the novel coronavirus and the resulting COVID-19 disease, CARE Canada is committed to working closely with health officials in the countries and regions where CARE is operational to ensure the safety and security of CARE staff and programs.
We are closely monitoring the evolving situation and have developed contingency plans to the current global COVID-19 outbreak. CARE Canada has provided comprehensive guidance and shared World Health Organization guidelines to its staff and is ensuring that staff have regular updates to health information based on government and regional advice.
As of 13 March 2020, CARE Canada staff in our Ottawa headquarters have been asked to work remotely until 5 April 2020. The decision to suspend in-office work in favour of remote work for CARE Canada staff was made in an abundance of caution in order to protect our staff and community.
“The decision to enact a work from home policy effective immediately and for a period of 3 weeks was made after thoughtful and measured deliberations in response to the most recent regional developments related to COVID-19 in Canada,” said Mara O’Brien James, CARE Canada President and CEO (Interim).
“We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will adjust plans with the health and safety of our staff and the communities we serve in mind as our top priority,” O’Brien James added.
As of 5 March 2020, CARE Canada put in place a ban on all non-essential travel for its staff. Strict safety and security measures have been put in place for travellers who are conducting essential travel, and this includes avoiding regions where COVID-19 rates are high.
This ban and other safety procedures are being overseen by a CARE Canada multidisciplinary task-force which is monitoring the situation both nationally and globally and adapting our contingency plans for HQ and country offices on a regular basis based on the most recent developments to this situation.
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CARE has spokespeople available. For media inquiries, please contact:
Lama Alsafimedia@care.ca | 613-228-5641
About CARE Canada
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE develops solutions alongside women and girls in developing countries to lift themselves, their families, and their communities out of poverty and out of crisis. CARE stands with women and girls around the world in economic empowerment. We bring women, girls, and their communities together to challenge inequality while facing issues like food insecurity, climate change, and emergency relief in times of crisis or disaster. CARE works in 100 countries around the world.
To learn more about CARE Canada, visit www.care.ca