COVID-19 Resources

Watch here for additional resources.  We will add them as available. - updated April 30, 2020

What is COVID-19?

According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are estimated to cause about a third of all cases of the common cold. COVID-19 is a new strand of the coronavirus causing respiratory illnesses that have not been found in people before. Because this is a new virus, there are still things we do not know, such as how severe the illness can be, how well it is transmitted between people, and other features of the virus.

Frequent updates can raise awareness, but can also cause anxiety and fear — not just about the virus, but also about who has and/or is spreading the virus. It is important to remember that COVID-19 is not racially or culturally specific.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most vulnerable populations are the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

The East Central Regional Arts Council encourage the arts community, and those hosting art events, in Region 7E to monitor the situation through the CDC and MDH, comply with public health guidelines and recommendations, actively promote actions to prevent further spread and take this opportunity to develop and/or evaluate emergency preparedness plans. 

 

Official Updates

Center for Disease Control Landing Page for COVID-19

Minnesota Department of Health Landing Page for COVID-19

World Health Organization Landing Page for COVID-19

Johns Hopkins: Mapping 2019-nCoV 

 

Prevention (from the CDC) 

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. There are simple everyday actions we can take to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

•  Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces regularly.
• Follow the CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask. The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from Coronavirus.  The CDC does recommend that people who show symptoms of Coronavirus or other respiratory illness wear a facemask. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and caretakers, and it is important that these health care professionals can access this necessary equipment easily.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Stay home if you are sick, except when seeking medical care.

 

Preparation & Prevention Resources

COVID-19: What nonprofits need to know - From Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

Coronavirus COVID-19 Resources for Artists - From Minnesota's Springboard for the Arts  (includes principles for ethical cancellations)

Preparedness for Arts Sector - From National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response

Arts Resource and Response for COVID-19 - From Americans for the Arts

Interim Guidance for Event Planners - From Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Preparing for Potential Impact of the Coronavirus - From ArtsReady

Preparing for the Impact of the Coronavirus - From Theater Communications Group (TCG)

Preparing Your Volunteer Program for COVID-19  - From Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA)

Key planning recommendations for Mass Gatherings in the context of the current COVID-19 outbreak - From World Health Organization (WHO)

Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers - From Center for Disease Control (CDC)

 

Webinars

Prepare Your Organization for the Coronavirus Disease Outbreak
Event Safety Alliance Free Webinar (1:04:54)
This webinar was held on March 4th, and looks at this public health crisis from two distinct perspectives: Infectious Disease Business Continuity Planning and Crisis Management. Does your organization have the right plans in place to continue operations during an infectious disease outbreak? Is there a process in place to gather and analyze current information and make informed decisions? Is there a crisis management process and team in place? When do you activate them? By preparing in advance, you can take actions that help to minimize the effect on your events. We will look at the eight items you should be paying attention to right now.

Coronavirus Webinar: Preparing Minnesota’s Foundations and Nonprofit Organizations for Coronavirus
Minnesota Council on Foundations Free Webinar (55:01)
This webinar was held on March 4th in partnership with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, the State of Minnesota, and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. Its purpose was to help nonprofits and foundations think about their own internal continuity of operations, as well as thinking about the external services they provide and how needs may evolve and increase as a result of an outbreak. Our featured speaker was Tanya Gulliver-Garcia from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

 

Responding to COVID-19 Related Racism and Misinformation

Yellow Peril: Resources to Address Coronavirus Racism
A crowd-sourced list of textual and digital resources around Coronavirus related racism

 

Emergency Relief Fund for Artists

Springboard for the Arts Community Emergency Relief Fund
“With the global spread of the coronavirus, there is also a spread in misinformation, often rooted in xenophobia or stereotypes. If you are an artist whose community is impacted, the Community Emergency Relief Fund is a resource for your creative response. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.” – Facebook Post about COVID-19

 

Rauschenberg Emergency Grants Program  New York Foundation for the Arts has partnered with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation to administer a new medical emergency grant program called Rauschenberg Emergency Grants for US citizens or permanent residents. Beginning in late May/early June 2020, the program will provide visual and media artists and choreographers with one-time grants of up to $5,000 for medical emergencies. 

 

COVID-19 Survey for Minnesota Creatives

SURVEY: COVID-19’s impact on the creative community and support needed The Minnesota State Arts Board and Minnesota’s regional arts councils know that people and organizations in our state’s arts and creative sector are being tested and challenged as never before. The physical, emotional, and financial toll that COVID-19 is taking is beyond our ability to measure, at this point. To help us get a handle on what’s happening and guide our immediate and longer-term responses to COVID-19, we need your input. Please take FIVE MINUTES to complete a very brief and simple survey.

 

At the East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) we are hopeful that COVID-19 will be contained, so we can get back to our daily lives. 

We at ECRAC will continue to do our best to respond accordingly and proactively.  

Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other.