With the new guidelines from the CDC, the Staff Leadership Team updated our Covid Protocols. Please review them before coming on campus here. We will no longer be checking vaccine cards, though we do strongly encourage all to get the vaccines and boosters. We will continue to require wearing masks indoors.
Our chart uses the data from CovidActNow.org for King County.
If You Are Sick, Please Stay Home
In an effort to be proactive and heed CDC recommendations regarding coronavirus prevention, we are asking everyone to please read and observe the following guidelines:
If you or anyone in your household exhibit the following symptoms, please stay home:
- Fever
- Coughing
- Sneezing, excessive mucus
If you have been exposed to or test positive for COVID-19, please stay home.
We strongly encourage, but are not requiring, vaccinations for all ages 6 months and older.
Why Do We Still Require Masks?
While many places are lifting this requirement, we will continue to require masks inside buildings. This is partly because of a lack of airflow in our Sanctuary, but more importantly it is because we are a beloved community. The CDC’s guidance is about individuals. As congregations, our decisions about masking or un-masking need to be about community. We are in covenant with one another to act not just as a collection of individuals, but as a body that works for the good of all.
Because our Unitarian Universalist faith is grounded in values that call us to care about one another, we must continue to make our decisions by centering the needs of the most vulnerable among us. The UUA encourages congregations to maintain a culture of indoor masking when they gather in person.
Practicing Consent and Compassion
Part of being a beloved community is respecting others and showing compassion. When making decisions, always practice covenantal consent—taking time to listen deeply to one another’s concerns and fears before making any decisions that might put members of the community at risk, either physically or mentally.
We need to acknowledge everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to risk. Please remember, these are your fellow East Shorians and we want to respect people’s decisions on how they participate in worship.
We also want to talk about hugging, handshakes, high fives, etc. As we teach our youngest children in Our Whole Lives (OWL), consent is very important. Even those friends who you may have always shared a hug with before may not feel up to it yet. Let’s show our children and each other we understand consent. Before hugging, please ask… AND be prepared to hear “no.” This includes members of the staff. We all love you… and we want to stay safe too.