Hi everyone, this is Kevin. Today is Friday, August 13th. I’m conducting this podcast to give you some information about COVID. That is, in response to rising rates of COVID in the community, we’re once again going to require all employees, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks while we’re indoors effective Tuesday, August 17th. Given that it’s after 3:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, I wanted to make sure everybody had an opportunity to get the word over the weekend and into Monday. So we’ll give you through Monday and make it mandatory Tuesday. Of course, I would encourage everybody to wear a mask on Monday when you get this word.
The leadership team and I made this decision after an increase in daily case rates among vaccinated and unvaccinated people at our facilities, and in keeping with our guiding principle to help keep everybody and the workplace as safe as possible. This posture is aligned with new public health guidance from the CDC, many of you are already aware of, evolving guidance from the states of CT and RI, and with policies recently instituted by the Navy and Department of Defense within the gates here at Electric Boat.
Consistent with our previous mask policy, this means that employees and contractors will need to wear an approved face covering while in any indoor spaces where you cannot maintain social distancing. You do not need to wear a mask while outdoors, while sitting at your workstation distanced from others, while eating or drinking or when working in large production spaces where it is possible to socially distance. When in doubt, please exercise caution and wear a mask.
The Delta variant of COVID is currently the predominant strain of the virus in the United States. Emerging data indicates that the Delta strain is nearly twice as contagious as previously circulating strains of the virus. This variant might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated persons. In two different studies from Canada and Scotland, patients infected with the Delta variant were more likely to be hospitalized than patients infected with previously circulating strains of COVID-19.
As we recently heard from Doc Hurley and Doc Andrews, COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from the virus, including the Delta variant. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, breakthrough cases, hospitalization and death are rarer among those who are fully vaccinated. (1) These data show that, people who are vaccinated benefit from an 8-times lower risk of developing COVID-19 once infected and a 25-times lower risk of hospitalization and death. (2) Almost all—more than 9 in 10—COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have occurred among people who are unvaccinated.
If you are not fully vaccinated, meaning two weeks after vaccination with a single-dose vaccine or after the second of your two-dose vaccine, you should be taking measures to protect yourselves, your families and your coworkers. This means wearing a mask indoors and outdoors. That policy hasn’t changed; we’ve been under that policy for about the last two months.
All EB employees are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. Anyone considering receiving a vaccine will find it easier than ever before. All EB pharmacies have COVID-19 vaccines in stock.
Another way to slow the spread of COVID-19 is by reducing density in work areas where possible. We know how to do this; we’ve done it before. Office-based employees that have previously worked remotely are encouraged to discuss a temporary return to working from home with their leadership to keep workplace density down. We should also keep meeting sizes smaller and use teleconferencing whenever possible to minimize the potential for workplace exposure and spread of the virus. Again, that’s something we’re practiced at and we know how to do.
On a more personal note, last March I didn’t, and none of us could have imagined, we’d still be talking about this virus. After vaccines became widely available this spring, I think we all felt hopeful that life would soon return to “normal.” I am sure that many of you are frustrated by what appears to be a step backwards and so am I. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, guidance changes quickly—sometimes daily—and is often contradictory. We’ve heard taking the vaccine would enable a return to normalcy—including not having to wear masks—only to learn of new vectors for transmission like the COVID Delta variant and breakthrough cases where vaccinated people can still contract the disease. Like you, I’ve also questioned the logic in a localized mask mandate when our surrounding communities are still generally mask-free. Among all of this emotional and mental churn, I believe one thing is certain—COVID will continue to be part of our vocabulary for some time to come and we must continue to work together to keep each other safe.
While you may question why this action is necessary—believe me, I’ve had those same questions—please understand my intent, and that of the senior team, is to try and sustain a safe work environment for all of us. I can assure you we will relax back to a near-normal standard as soon as the facts and the science support. In the meantime, I appreciate your continuing cooperation.
Thanks for all you do—please stay safe.
