UPDATE March 12, 2020
Dear Fellow & Future Cave Dwellers,
We continue to welcome guests to Cumberland Caverns to create memories worth repeating and we are committed to providing a safe, fun experience for all.
As we all have been watching, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has made its way to the United States. The health and safety of all Cumberland Caverns crew and guests are of the utmost importance and we wanted to provide you with information about the proactive planning efforts and actions that we are undertaking. We know issues like this can be stressful and we are saddened for the people and families who have been affected.
We are closely following the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines and recommendations on the steps we can take to help prevent the spread of the virus. In addition, we are monitoring the situation daily with updates from experts in the field and consulting with peers through our professional networks and organizations.
We know this can be confusing and can create a great deal of anxiety. We ask that you please focus on taking care of what you can control:
• We are asking that anyone who feels ill in any way, including having a fever of 100 degrees or higher within 24 hours, please stay home until you recover.
• Your best defense is to wash your hands often, especially before eating and before/after use of communal electronics, with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Wash hands or use hand-sanitizer after blowing your nose and discard tissues into the trash immediately after use.
• Avoid touching your face, especially eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Our cave floors may be made of dirt, but we’re clean freaks at heart who take cleanliness and hygiene seriously with rigorous sanitation practices throughout the year. In recent weeks, we’ve proactively implemented additional measures, including:
• Adding additional hand-sanitation stations throughout the Cumberland Caverns property.
• Disinfecting commonly touched surfaces multiple times throughout the property, such as handrails in the cave, surfaces in the restrooms and the gift shop.
• Increased training and reinforcement for our rigorous sanitation standards.
• Adjusting food and beverage service in accordance with current food safety recommendations.
We have shared specific instructions with our employees on the importance of washing their hands and staying home if they feel sick or are returning from an area of the world identified as posing a coronavirus-related risk. Per CDC recommendations, we will ask employees who have traveled to such locations or have been exposed to others who have traveled to such locations to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Additionally, we strongly encourage all guests to review the CDC’s website for prevention tips and signs of symptoms before visiting. By working together, we can help prevent the spread of germs and provide a safe experience for everyone visiting Cumberland Caverns.
Sincerely,
Travis Young
GM Cumberland Caverns