Call us at: 212-227-9893
Covid-19 Protocols
The COVID-19 pandemic is on everyone’s mind. We have changed some of our office policies and procedures to make sure we provide care in the safest possible way. Please read below to understand what we will be doing in the office, and what we are asking you to do to ensure the best experience.
Scheduling
We have changed our schedule to allow enough time between patients so we can adhere to social distancing. This means that there will be significantly fewer available appointments each day. We ask therefore that you keep your appointments and that you arrive on time. If you will not be able to keep your appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so we can offer that time to another patient.
Our staff members may ask specific questions about your individual situation to be able to appropriately schedule your appointment.
If you are immunocompromised, for example, if you have Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, or have any other cause for increased concern about contracting COVID, please let us know. We can schedule you for the first appointment of the day, before other people arrive.
All visits are by appointment, including optical services that were previously done on a walk-in basis (eyeglass pick-ups, adjustments, repairs).
Before your appointment
We will send you a screening questionnaire to determine your COVID-19 risk. If you have symptoms of COVID such as coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, fever, etc., or have been in contact with someone who has COVID, we will ask you to reschedule.
We will ask you to fill out your eye, medical, and family history online, before your arrive for your appointment. This will make your visit more efficient and will reduce the amount of time you need to spend in the office. If you are unable to do this, our staff members will call you to get the information by phone.
For your appointment
Please arrive on time.
If you are able to be in the office alone, please do so. We ask that patients who require someone with them for any reason, please limit that to 1 additional person. When multiple family members are being seen, we may ask that some family members wait outside or in the car until we are ready to begin their examinations.
Children should be accompanied by 1 parent only. Please make arrangements for other siblings so they are not in the office. We will see one child accompanied by a parent at a time.
We will check your temperature when you arrive, before you enter the office. If your temperature is 100 degrees or higher, you will not be allowed to enter the office.
We ask that all patients wear masks while they are in the office. If for medical reasons you are unable to wear a mask, please let our staff know beforehand so that we can make sure other precautions are in place.
All examination rooms and equipment are disinfected between every patient, exceeding current CDC recommendations.
Contact lens wear during COVID-19
As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, patients continue to look to doctors of optometry, their primary eye health care physicians, for accurate eye health and vision guidance. When it comes to contact lens wear, the American Optometric Association (AOA) and doctors of optometry want to reinforce that contact lenses are a safe and effective form of vision correction for millions of people. The AOA provides the following advice to ensure proper wear and care for contact lenses.
Contact lenses themselves will not give you COVID 19. Contact lens wearers should always practice good hygiene when handling lenses. It has been noted that contact lens wearers touch their faces and eyes when inserting and removing lenses. Touching your face can spread germs.
Exercise proper hand washing. When using contact lenses or spectacles, one should wash their hands carefully and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, followed by hand drying with unused paper towels. This should occur before every contact lens insertion and removal. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. People should avoid touching their face, including their eyes, nose and mouth, with unwashed hands.
Disinfect contact lenses. Contact lens wearers should either dispose of their daily disposable lenses each evening, or regularly disinfect their monthly and two-week lenses according to instructions from the manufacturer and one's doctor of optometry.
Discontinue lens wear if sick. Consistent with recommendations for other types of illness, those who feel ill with cold or flu-like symptoms should cease contact lens wear.
Glasses are not proven to offer protection. There is no scientific evidence that wearing spectacles or glasses provides protection against COVID-19 or other viral transmissions.
If you have a contact lens prescription that is nearing expiration or has expired, contact your doctor of optometry. Doctors of optometry are working with patients to ensure they have access to needed medical devices. No federal laws related to the Contact Lens Rule prescription verification process have been suspended or waived.
Healthy individuals can continue to wear and care for their contact lenses as prescribed by their doctor of optometry.
Individuals should continue to consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on how to protect themselves from COVID-19.
Eyeglasses
Our staff members will help you select frames. They will be wearing a face shield so you can try on the frame without having to wear your mask.
All glasses on our displays are clean and ready to be tried on. Please place glasses in labeled bins after you try them on. They will be disinfected before being placed back on the displays for other patients to try.
If you would like to get the opinion of friends or family members as you are selecting glasses, we ask that you use Facetime or video chat to do so.
We are excited to have patients back in the office, but at the same time, a bit nervous to see what this “new normal” will be like.
Thank you for your patience and for being our patients!
The Pride Optical Team
