Dennis Group COVID-19 Updates

DG COVID-19 

Updates

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•  CDC COVID-19 Site
•  Tips for Working from Home

Got questions?

Send them to [email protected]

Dennis Group's COVID-19 Response

Updated October 13, 2022:

Thanks to your hard work, Dennis Group has continued to safely support our clients in both traditional and innovative ways throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note recent changes in CDC guidance regarding mask-wearing and quarantine protocols. Canadian employees, please click here for Canada-specific COVID-19 policies.

To all employees:

Click here to submit your vaccination status form

Dennis Group Offices and Jobsite Access

Dennis Group offices remain open unless otherwise noted, and continue to follow the latest local, state, province, and national guidance on COVID-19 safety protocols. Dennis Group employees should follow the stricter of Dennis Group policies, or those of our clients and host communities.

With the current high levels of population immunity from both vaccination and infections, the risk of significant illness and hospitalization is greatly reduced for most people. Accordingly, the CDC's guidance is now shifting toward a community impact approach, with a focus on county-level precautions and guidelines. Their recommendations include:

    1. Continuing to use vaccines and testing as the first line of defense against Covid-19 spread
    2. For high risk individuals in counties with an uptick in cases, discussing appropriate precautions with their medical provider.
    3. Wearing masks in indoor settings in counties where hospital admissions are continuing to increase

What does this mean for DG offices and project sites? Currently with majority of the Country in the green and yellow, masks are recommended but optional in all DG offices and most job sites. However, any client or local requirements supersede CDC recommendations.

Canadian employees, please click here for Canada-specific COVID-19 policies

Precautions by Community Covid-19 Levels:
(Check your county's levels here)

Low

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medium

High

 

People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. Masks are recommended in indoor public transportation settings and may be required in other places by local or state authorities.

A few reminders:

  • If you do not feel well, do not report to an office or worksite and contact your manager immediately about alternative arrangements.

  • United States employees, please submit a record of your vaccination and booster status here. Those that have not provided vaccination information are presumed to not be fully vaccinated.

  • Team members who are considered at a high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 in accordance with local and CDC guidance, such as older adults and those at any age with compromised immune systems and underlying health issues, are advised to be extra cautious and thoughtful about returning to the office without a complete vaccine dosage (two shots in most cases). All other employees are required to follow the program outline in our Connected Workplace Policy that establishes in-person Collaboration Days on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

  • Office leadership and Human Resources have full authority to send individuals home who are showing signs and symptoms of illness. Our Construction Managers and Site Safety teams have the same authority on site. All employees have a right to report concerns to Human Resources, Site Safety, and Dennis Group leadership.

Vaccinations, Boosters, and 'Fully Vaccinated' Status

We strongly encourage all employees to consider receiving an approved COVID-19 vaccination, as well as up-to-date COVID-19 boosters. Please consult with your physician if you have any medical questions or concerns about the vaccine. 

We request that United States-based employees complete our COVID-19 vaccination form to record both their vaccination and booster status. Please complete the form again if you have received a new vaccine or booster since you last filled out this form. We will use the form to help verify testing requirements as well as contact tracing if necessary. The conditions that must be met in order to be considered 'fully vaccinated' and up-to-date include:

  • You received the complete course of your COVID-19 vaccine (2 doses for Pfizer and Moderna, 1 dose for Johnson & Johnson), and the last dose was given within the last six months.

  • You have received a booster shot at least 5 months after the final dose in the primary series.

Return-to-Work Decisions for COVID-19 Impacted Individuals, including Close Contacts:

In the United States, Dennis Group is basing return to office/jobsite decisions on the stricter of current CDC guidance or client-specific rules. Current CDC guidance provides individuals impacted by Covid-19 with two options:

    1. Test Positive for COVID 19

      It is recommended that if you test positive for COVID-19, you stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others and wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public.

        • If after 5 days you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and your symptoms are improving, or you never had symptoms, you may end isolation after day 5.
        • Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11.
        • You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10.

    2. Exposed to COVID 19

      It is recommended that if you were exposed to COVID-19, you now wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 5 regardless of vaccination status.

      You can see the detailed CDC recommendations here.

When you have COVID-19, isolation is counted in days, as follows:

If you had no symptoms:

  • Day 0 is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result)
  • Day 1 is the first full day following the day you were tested
  • If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset

If you had symptoms:

  • Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive
  • Day 1 is the first full day after the day your symptoms started

Close Contact is defined by Dennis Group and the CDC as:

Scenario A: Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24 hour period starting from 2 days (48 hours) before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic clients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated
Scenario B: Living in the same household or being an intimate partner of someone who has been infected by COVID-19
Scenario C: Having direct known physical contact (hugging/kissing) or contact with the bodily fluids and/or secretions of an infected individual (e.g., was coughed or sneezed on, shared utensils with, or was provided care by or provided care for them without wearing a mask, gown, and gloves)

Contact [email protected] if you find yourself in this position and do not return to work or a jobsite in the meantime. Find more information about CDC quarantine and isolation protocols here.

Safety & Hygiene

You can protect yourself and your community and limit the spread of COVID-19 by practicing social distancing and good hygiene. Do this by observing the following:

  1. WEAR A MASK

  2. Refrain from touching your face, neck, eyes, ears, and mouth. When you must touch these areas, always wash hands before AND after doing so.

  3. Cover your face with the bend of your elbow if you cough or sneeze.

  4. Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer when hand washing is not possible.

We continue to monitor this evolving situation and will adjust our approach as necessary. Please do not hesitate to contact the Human Resources team if you have any questions.

 

Take care and stay well!