Coronavirus Response Update

It’s all a little overwhelming now, right?

Around the world, borders are closing, air travel is coming to a stand-still, across the country schools are closing, universities are teaching online, weddings and whole sporting seasons are being cancelled, primary elections have even been delayed in some states.

As the threat of the Coronavirus continues, I want to first share our concern for you, your family and your loved ones, and to outline more of the measures we are taking to ensure the short-term and long-term health of the chimps and our Project Chimps family.

We continue to watch the bulletins coming to us from the Zoo and Aquarium All Hazards Preparedness, Response and Recovery Fusion Center (ZAHP), an industry leader, for guidance, as well as the CDC, and our federal, state and county governments.

Here are some of the things we are doing now, with the caveat that the situation is extremely fluid and that some of these actions may be revised in the days and weeks to come, in keeping with government and industry recommendations:

Staff and Volunteers Onsite

We are reducing our onsite personnel to those that are necessary for daily operations. Staff who can work from home have been set up to do so to continue supporting our administrative and digital operations.

Volunteer shifts that are not essential for core operations such as food and enrichment prep are being closed through May 10.

We have increased our sanitation routines in human areas and provided extra personal protective equipment and trainings to all who will continue to operate on property during this period of time.

All staff members and volunteers who are sick or may have been exposed to the virus due to recent travel are instructed to remain offsite.

Chimp Care

While it remains unclear if great apes can contract COVID-19, the ZAHP Great Ape-specific taxonomies recommend that non-essential personnel only approach within 6 feet of captive great apes in areas not separated by solid glass.

With this standard in mind, we are going to restrict all access inside chimp villas to essential personnel only.

All contractors and unassigned personnel will not enter villas unless the situation is deemed necessary and unavoidable on a case-by-case basis. If that access is required, all who enter will be required to wear full PPE to protect the chimps and our staff.

This restriction will remain in effect until May 10 (following the 8-week recommendation of the CDC) with the possibility of further extension.

Guest Visitations

Following the new guidelines from the CDC, we have cancelled all public events and onsite tours that would have taken place around the Peachtree Habitat effective immediately and continuing through May 10.
 
This decision includes postponing and rescheduling our Volunteer Orientations, Photography Workshop, Chimps Rock!, April Chimpcation, and the Airbnb Experiences tours, in addition to all private education and supporter tours through May 10.

All of these events will be rescheduled for June or later. At this time, we are not adjusting activities that are scheduled for May 11 and beyond and will continue to follow the CDC guidelines on mass gatherings as they update their recommendations to determine if additional cancellations are warranted. 
 
I know you understand and hope you will be able to join us at one of these events later this summer or fall!

Concerns or Questions?

If you have any concerns for the chimps during this outbreak, please feel free to write to me at any time.

We will be here, proceeding into these uncharted waters, and ever vigilant! We may further restrict our operations if necessary, but we will strive to meet our mission regardless.

We are also looking at ways we can bring the chimps to you – virtually of course! We know many of you look forward to seeing our website videos and the many more posted on our YouTube Channel. We’ll try to keep those coming along with our email and daily social media updates. We’ll also update you on our greatest needs as we assess the situation.

As we all adjust to a new “normal,” our work to care for the chimps continues and the end goal of bringing all of them to sanctuary remains more important than ever.

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P.S. If you’d like to learn more about how we’re preparing for the COVID-19 Coronavirus to protect the health of the chimps and our guests, please read more on our Chimp Chatter Blog.

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Resources mentioned in this memo:

CDC Mass Gathering Statement
CDC High Risk Categories
ZAHP Guidelines on Facilities with Great Apes
OSHA Guidelines for COVID Preparations
Health article on Covid19 Risk on Packages