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Shared spaces, vehicles, equipment

Recommendations for CDCR/CCHCS COVID-19 employees

Shared Living Spaces:

  • Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily (e.g.,tables, countertops, light switches, remotes, doorknobs, and cabinet handles) using a regular household detergent and water.
  • Make a schedule for using a shared kitchen, dining area,and bathroom at different times; be sure to clean all surfaces after use.
  • Avoid sharing personal items like utensils, food, and drinks.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
  • Times such as these can be stressful. Be sure to check in remotely with one another often.
  • Set aside time to reach out to friends and family via video chat applications to maintain communication and to promote feelings of connectedness.
  • Limit close contact with others as much as possible (about 6 feet).

If someone in your household starts to have symptoms of respiratory illness

Choose a room in your home that can be used to separate ill household members from those who are healthy. Identify a separate bathroom for the ill person to use, if possible. Contact your primary care provider for further instructions that may include a consultation. Plan to clean these rooms on a routine basis, especially if a household member is ill. Designate separate eating utensils, glass/cups, plates etc. wash in dishwasher and reuse same ones if possible.

Work Vehicles and Equipment:

COVID-19-infected droplets may be able to live on nearly any surface. Consider sanitizing items you frequently touch during a shift:

  • Phone
  • Laptop
  • Clipboard
  • General clinical work area
  • Medical equipment used such as vital signs machine, stethoscope, pen light, otoscope, ophthalmoscope or any equipment that may have been used or came in contact with a patient
  • Pens
  • GPS cutters and equipment removed from a parolee (GPS devices, pins, straps)
  • Handcuffs

Patrol/work vehicle equipment:

  • Steering wheel
  • Gear shift
  • Dispatch radio module
  • Door handles and edges
  • Trunk cover
  • Seat belts
  • Center console and glove box handles