The Helderberg Ambulance Squad has had a very different month. Like you, we are monitoring the news, and also the many updates on protocols from the New York State Health Department.

We have asked community members to help us out by sewing protective gowns for the squad members to wear. If you sew and would like to help us by making gowns, please call me, Millie Zuk, at 518-872-0297. 

We have patterns and the material for the gowns have been ordered. We have plenty of surgical masks and are still looking for N95 masks. We have plenty of goggles and gloves, so we are prepared and ready to respond to calls.

If you are able to donate blood, please contact the American Red Cross. Call 1-800- Red Cross to set up an appointment. This is a list of some upcoming blood drives in our area:

— April 1: Duanesburg Baptist Church from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.;

— April 8: Bethlehem YMCA; 

— May 1: Schoharie ARC from noon to 6 p.m.;

— May 14: Middleburg Reformed Church from 2 to 7 p.m.; and

— May 29: Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We have a few suggestions for you and your family. People with upper respiratory symptoms are being asked to self-quarantine at home. In addition, if you have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, you may have already been asked to self-quarantine.

If you have been asked to self–quarantine, these are recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

— Stay in your own bedroom;

— Use a separate bathroom, if possible;

— Don’t share dishes, towels, or bedding; and

— Restrict contact with pets.

You can still live with family, but to prevent the virus from spreading:

— Wash your hands frequently, especially before meals. Wash your hands after handling money, mail, newspaper, or groceries;

— Wipe down frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, tabletops, toilets, and phones on a daily basis. Don’t forget the door handles and steering wheel on your car;

— If you need to share something with others while in quarantine, wash it thoroughly with soap and water;

— Avoid visitors;

— Practice social distancing, staying at least six feet apart from others;

— Don’t leave home except when you need to go to the doctor; and

— Wash your towels often.

As our community works together to take on the spread of this disease, it is important to understand that what you do to reduce the spread of this virus will help everyone.