Good afternoon! On behalf of the NCEHSOP Committee, we hope that you and your families are holding up well during the trying times of the COVID-19 crisis. These are certainly historically stressful times for everyone, and all of us are trying to navigate through this pandemic as best we can.
After much thought and discussion, the Committee has made some difficult decisions regarding 2020 spring and summer SOP training events. As you know from NCREHS Board’s announcement yesterday, they are requesting Emergency and Temporary Rule changes to make Continuing Education hours for 2020 (only) be optional and not required, and to extend the timeframe requirement to complete EH Law by one year. All of this coupled with the uncertainty of COVID-19’s duration, and anticipated time and budget constraints and travel restrictions once we are on the other side of the pandemic, the Committee has made the decision to cancel our recently announced upcoming training events for 2020. More specifically, this includes:
- Seafood Quality & Safety Workshop – May 27 – 28, 2020
- NC EH Law Course – July 15 – 17, 2020
- 5th Annual EH Symposium & Workshop – August 5 -7, 2020
There is a possibility that we may offer training opportunities in the fall and winter months if it is safe and practical to do so. Watch for announcements later this year.
For those who registered and paid the registration fees online for the Seafood Workshop, I will refund those monies to the card that you used. If you registered and mailed a check to pay the registration fees, I will return the voided check to your supervisor, so they can return them to your Finance folks who can credit the money back to your budget.
In closing, please know that the Committee considered many things before making these decisions. We recognize the importance of being informed of best practices for investigating and responding to disease, monitoring for hazards and education the public becomes more crucial every day. We also know that it is more important to balance our commitment to education with our dedication to safety through social isolation efforts directed by Federal, State and Local Governments.
Thank you for all that you do to protect yourself and the public that relies on us. Continue to stay safe and well through social distancing and crowd avoidance. Feel free to contact me should you have questions.
~Donna,
Donna Coffey, Administrative Assistant
North Carolina Environmental Health State of Practice Committee (NCEHSOP)
Post Office Box 489
Efland, NC 27243