Dear Clients, friends, supporters …
It is with great excitement that I can advise that, following Solaris Board approval, our centres are now building to full opening where possible. I encourage you to see the specific details for each centre in this newsletter. Obviously, our ability to deliver services will depend upon the return of our incredible volunteers over time, however, our centres can also act as a safe haven for you to visit at any time.
As always, we will warmly welcome you to any of our 5 centres across the state, and with your assistance, we aim to continue providing the most wonderful supportive care experience to you and your families / supporter network through our amazing staff and volunteers. As we work together to create a safe environment, I wanted to provide you with some guidance from our Founder, Chairman and Medical Director, Dr David Joske.
If you have any symptoms of a cough, cold or fever, please do not enter!
Infection with Covid-19 carries a risk of more severe manifestations (such as requiring ICU admission) in certain groups of people. These include:
· Those over 60, especially the very elderly
· Those with a diagnosis of cancer, not necessarily just those on active treatment*
· Some minority groups (at least in the US and UK)
· Those who smoke
· Those who are overweight
*People receiving immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitor drugs (e.g. Keytruda, Opdivo) may be at particular risk.
If you have a diagnosis of cancer, you should discuss your virus risk and how to manage it, with your medical team before proceeding with therapy at a Solaris Centre. We are doing all we can to reduce any chance of virus in our centres; but treatment here is at your own risk.
Thank you again for trusting us as part of your supportive care journey, and for your assistance in making sure we look out for each other in these challenging times.
David Edwards
Managing Director / CEO
