In December 2021 Business Meeting, we decided to look to the Virginia Department of Health framework when considering our own COVID precautions.  In recent weeks, VDH has changed the way they talk about COVID risk and precautions in ways that my allow loosening our own considerations a bit.

   

As hospitalizations have dropped significantly, VDH has replaced their own “community transmission” reports and considerations with the Centers for Disease Control “risk ranking” model.  The CDC model takes into account infection levels, but more heavily weighs the burden on local hospitals.  

 

Under this, Richmond and environs are in the “Low” risk category, which for us suggests that we can:

— request that friends use their own judgment on whether to mask or not.  Some will want to continue masking, particularly those most vulnerable to COVID and  anyone who may feel sick and thus want to protect others.

— continue to attend to ventilation in any indoor space where people gather.

— consider providing an area in the worship room where people can distance well.  Some will want to continue social distancing, particularly those most vulnerable.

— open the meetinghouse to eating, though still maximizing ventilation and encouraging people to distance, or better yet meet on the patio.

 

VDH notes that keeping gatherings in “well ventilated” areas is always important.   Masking and distancing are still worthwhile precautions.  And, as noted while Richmond is currently “Low” risk, we should quickly return to universal masking and consider other precautions if/when we to go to “Medium” risk.

 

Please contact me or other Working Group members with questions.

Thanks

 

Dan Shaw, clerk, COVID Working Group