Dear East Shore Members & Friends,
Back in October, we were thrilled to begin plans to welcome you all back into the sanctuary for worship. As we have come to learn, COVID does not always care about our plans. Unfortunately, the Board and Staff Leadership Team have had to make the tough decision to delay our grand re-opening of in-person worship (as was detailed here). We know this is not the news you wanted to hear, and we recognize science is telling us which way to go.
We do have a new chart that will help the staff make decisions on how and when to open various aspects of the church. This information is based on science and data, which as UUs we trust. The new chart uses the data from CovidActNow.org for King County. This site takes information including daily new cases per 100K (incidence), infection rate (Rt), and test positivity. We feel this gives a good picture of where we are and how much risk various activities have. You can see the detailed chart here.
Using the thermometer at the top of the page, we have categorized a phased reopening with Severe, Very High Risk, High Risk, Medium Risk and Low Risk. The staff will look at the numbers on Mondays to make decisions on where on the chart we are. In the case of the numbers being borderline, they will err on the side of being more cautious. The Board has voted and approved the staff to use this chart and data to make ongoing decisions about the safety of events at East Shore.
Currently, with Omicron skyrocketing, we are in the Severe category which means most events and activities at East Shore will move to online only. We hope as the peak crests, we can begin returning to being together again. And, we recognize that we may not be past all future spikes, meaning there is a chance we may move backwards at times.
However, one silver lining, we will begin the process of checking for vaccines. All those on campus on Sunday (over the age of 5) will need to be fully vaccinated. On-site checking will begin this Sunday for RE, the Ace Sound Crew, and congregants who have reserved a spot in the sanctuary. There will also be opportunities to show your card virtually, though we do ask that you do NOT email us this medical data. Once checked, a sticker will be added to your badge so you will only need to show proof once. Please note, if you do not believe your badge is at East Shore, you need to find it NOW! If you do not have your badge, please contact Nicole as soon as possible so she can make a new one for you.
We hope this chart can bring a sense of hope and some clarity to how decisions are made. And, how those changes affect so many aspects of church life.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach out to anyone on the Staff Leadership Team (Steve, Rebecca, amanda, and Nicole). Thank you for your patience!
In Faith,
East Shore Board of Trustees and Staff Leadership Team