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COVID-19 Updates

 

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Update March 25, 2020 5:30 p.m
 

Girl Scouts of Citrus (GSC) continues to monitor the Coronavirus situation and is diligently following recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and our local Health Department. As Girl Scouts, we have an obligation to our community to do all that we can to limit the spread of the virus, even if we as individuals are not at risk of serious illness.

“Stay at Home” Order Effective in Orange and Osceola Counties as of 11 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2020

In order to slow the spread of COVID-19, Orange and Osceola County officials have issued a "Stay at Home" order. All non-essential retail and commercial businesses are ordered to close and all residents to stay home from non-essential travel.

The order goes into effect on Thursday, March 26th at 11 p.m. and will remain in place until April 9th at 11 p.m. This order impacts the Girl Scouts of Citrus main service center and Council retail shop on Mills Avenue, both of which will remain closed until further notice.

Girl Scouts of Citrus staff will continue work remotely.

  • You may reach out to our Customer Care team for any inquiries at customercare@citrus-gs.org
  • Shipment of all Girl Scout merchandise will continue and can be placed through shop@citrus-gs.org with free shipping to all Citrus Girl Scout members.

Out of an abundance of caution, Citrus Council strongly advises that community volunteer leadership suspend any in-person activities – including troop meetings, camporees, and any other events or gatherings.

With local events postponed or cancelled and schools closed, Girl Scouts is a great resource for volunteers and parents. A wide variety of virtual activities, including badge and patch work are available.

Troop leaders and parents are encouraged to embrace online opportunities to keep girls engaged with their sister Girl Scouts through virtual troop meetings. Girl Scouts can continue working toward goals, earning badges and completing service projects to help neighbors who may be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Online Activities for Kids of All ages

  • Visit All Things Girl Scouts for virtual Girl Scout activities for kids and resources for adults.
  • Citrus Council will continue to release more programming content in the coming days so be sure to check back often.
  • Earn council-own badges featuring virtual activities led by GSC program partners.

Interactive videos featuring girls and council staff will show how to earn badges while practicing safe social distancing. 

Troop Meetings, Events & Camporees:

Girl Scouts of Citrus (GSC) is closely monitoring the Coronavirus situation following recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and our local Health Department.

Girl Scouts of Citrus is temporarily suspending all Council-sponsored activities until May 1. The following applies during this time:

  • All Girl Scout programs and activities will be cancelled until April 30th.
  • Property Reservations for all of our properties are closed through April 30th. 
  • TARs and Travel requests will not be approved for trips through April 30th.

Parents who had registered and paid for a Council-sponsored activity will receive a refund from Citrus Council. If an event is managed by a community partner, please contact them directly for more information.

Citrus Council strongly recommends that community volunteer leadership also suspend any and all local activities – including troop meetings, camporees, and any other events or gatherings.

Council Office and Retail Shop:

  • The Girl Scouts of Citrus Service center and Citrus Retail Shop will close to the public as of March 18 and remain closed until further notice.
  • Orders can still be placed through shop@citrus-gs.org and these will be processed and shipped out. The council shop will be offering free shipping to our council volunteers on orders made through the email address.
  • While the office is closed, council staff is continuing to work remotely. You may reach out to our Customer Care team for any inquiries at customercare@citrus-gs.org

Note that all Girl Scout event insurance will remain in effect as before. However, keep in mind that this is liability insurance and will cover injuries resulting from an accident. THE GIRL SCOUT INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER HEALTHCARE OR ILLNESS.

As new information becomes available from the CDC and GSUSA it will be posted on our official website.

 

Talking with Girls About the Virus

Sometimes a parent could use a little help, especially when it comes to speaking with a child about a serious issue. The Coronavirus is currently taking top billing in the media, so GSUSA published an article that provides some tips on how to talk with your daughter about the disease.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) also has some good advice for talking with kids, including ways they can avoid getting or spreading the disease and reminding them that health and school officials are working hard to keep everyone safe and healthy.

According to the CDC, children have not been shown to be a high-risk group for serious illness from this virus. As much as possible, children should be allowed to carry on with their education and normal activities. We understand that some children have underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk, and caregivers of children with underlying health conditions should consult with healthcare providers about whether their children should stay home.

The Facts about COVID-19

We ask that everyone – volunteers, parents and families – pay attention to the facts. The most important thing you can do is remain flexible and follow CDC recommendations for reducing risk.

In addition to routine environmental cleaning, there is a lot we can do to minimize the risk of catching and spreading the virus. Tips from the CDC include:

  • Keep your environment clean – routinely clean frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, remotes, sinks and countertops. Find more cleaning tips at the CDC online.
  • Practice good personal health habits like washing your hands frequently and covering coughs and sneezes. Make sure your home and family have a plan of action – these CDC guidelines are helpful.
  • Know what to do if you or a family member gets sick. The CDC specifically advises to call your doctor and stay at home. Get more information here. It is also important to take special care with family members who are more vulnerable to infection.
  • Avoid gatherings of 10 or more people
Meeting Virtually

While we cannot endorse or support specific online meeting tools for your use, see below for a list of free and low-cost tools that could be useful to you.

Video and Audio-Conferencing Tools with free versions 

While all of these options have a free version, please note you may be prompted to consider their upgraded versions for a subscription fee.

  • Zoom - FAQ
    Note: Meetings durations maximum of 40 minutes in free version
  • Skype - Support
    Note: Up to 10 participants free
  • Webex – Help Center
    Note: Limited file and content sharing in free version

Chat and Collaboration Tools with free versions

Additional low-cost tools for collaboration and conferencing to consider if the above options do not meet your group's needs.

 

 

We recognize that the uncertainties surrounding the virus are causing a great deal of stress. We will continue to monitor the situation and will be prepared to adjust girl activities as recommended by the CDC and local Health Department.