Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.
As of today (Friday March 13th at 2pm), we are closing Providence Community Acupuncture for 2 weeks until March 28th, in light of the COVID19/coronavirus epidemic. We don’t take this decision at all lightly, as we know that many in our community rely on PCA for healthcare. We are closing because we take our mandate to protect community health so seriously. Evidence all around the world shows that the best way to ensure that this epidemic threatens as few of our community as possible is to limit its spread through physical distancing. As you all know, we are typically open 365 days a year, barring major snowstorms. The need to “flatten the curve” of COVID19/coronavirus to try and lessen its impact on our community is the only time we have closed the clinic for more than 2 days in a row in 14 years of operation.
To be clear, we are not aware of any confirmed case of COVID19/coronavirus in our staff or patient community. We are doing this as a precaution and to follow public health advice to limit gatherings of people. We hope that our closing will be part of the momentum of people staying home to prevent a severe outbreak. If ours and others’ measures to encourage physical distancing are successful, we may never see COVID19 become as widespread and destructive as it is in other places.
In 2 weeks, we hope to be open, but we will be evaluating and assessing this situation as it continues. We thank you in advance for your support and patience, and look forward to seeing you when we open our doors again soon.
We will remain active on social media, so you can stay connected to the clinic. Expect self-care tips for boosting immunity, strengthening and healing your respiratory system, and calming anxiety in the near future.
We hope that you all will stay connected to your communities and support networks in whatever ways you can, from a distance, and that you will reach out to local resources (we will have another post on our website soon about that) if you need support. The need for universal healthcare, paid sick time for all workers, a robust social safety net, and community networks of support and solidarity couldn’t be clearer. Let’s stay connected, and get through this together.
With care,
the folks at PCA
