COVID Policies Updated from other Meetings
Portland Friends Meeting:
Website states: “Vaccination or Rapid Test negative required”, but upon inquiry the clerk wrote: “we do still require vaccination or a negative test, although I have to say that it’s been a while since we drew attention to that, and we might want to revisit that going forward. It was always an honor system kind of thing, not something we enforced at the door”. They approved on May 7 the policy at end of this document – their minute states: Portland Friends Meeting Meeting for Worship for the Conduct of Business—May 7, 2023
3. COVID HEALTH ADVISORY GROUP
Maggie Fiori presented the Advisory Group’s report, which is included herewith as Attachment 1. Considerable discussion followed, particularly around two items:
- adoption of the term “masks welcome” for the entire Meetinghouse, including the Meeting Room, in lieu of “masks required” for the Meeting Room; and
- deferral of a decision regarding continuation of hybrid meetings.
Friends considered the terms “masks strongly suggested” or “preferred” in view of those in our community who cannot or prefer not to be in spaces with people who are not masked. There was also acknowledgement that some find masking quite difficult due to other types of health issues. In the end the Meeting approved the proposed “masks welcome” policy, with the added note that “Choosing to be mask-welcoming is choosing to maintain an inclusive community for those with health challenges and their friends and families. It is a reminder that God doesn’t just speak through the able.”
Dover Monthly Meeting:
Vaccination required but not enforced for attenders (walk-ins are not asked). Following CDC guidelines: when Green, masking not required. Masking required when Yellow or red. Clerk checks each Friday and sends email blast when color level changes.
Henniker/Weare Meeting:
We in Henniker have begun to loosen our Covid restrictions. We were all wearing masks every time in the meetinghouse, especially when Betty Straw, our 97 year old, was present. Last time we had some guests, Betty wasn’t there, and we forgot all about masks! I imagine that will be more common, especially as the weather gets warmer and we can leave the doors open for ventilation. Good luck to you all!
Ann Ludders
Storrs Meeting CT
We closed Storrs Meeting House when the pandemic hit so hard with deaths in nearby nursing homes, etc. We went on Zoom and it was difficult and attendance dropped .. We opened with tight regulations - all in masks, wipe down door knobs, restroom fixtures, no use of the kitchen plus a sign-in system so we would track anyone who became ill and warn others who were present.
It has gradually become a bit looser - we began to have coffee hours outdoors and when cold weather came we began to have snacks inside. We were influenced by our big neighbor UCONN's precautions. Now the University and whole community has become "masks optional" .
In April we chose to make masks optional. And to use common sense precautions about safe distancing and stay home if you have symptoms, etc.
We have kept hybrid worship because of Friends in Assisted Living and others who are temporarily homebound because of illness.
We are grateful for a gradual return to a more "normal" life together. – From Susanna Thomas
From another member:
Storrs Friends Meeting, in CT, has finally made masking optional as of April 23. Social distancing is encouraged. We are offering Fellowship with finger foods, and beverages after rise of Meeting. Those who don’t feel ready to participate simply don’t, or will visit with us while choosing to remain masked. Out of the 12-18 regular attenders, 2 or 3 continue to choose to mask.
We labored with this thru the winter, deciding to revisit it in April. Hooray! Finally.
Carol Strebig, Ministry and Counsel Committee member.
Durham ME Meeting
From Maggie Edmondson: We were extremely strict and masking until February of this year. We have an air purifier in our meeting room and there are actually just a handful of us physically present - more present via Zoom. However, we have felt it's a reasonable risk with us all vaccinated and boosted. We have also started sharing a time of fellowship after worship and a monthly potluck supper in our homes.
Masks are optional at this point. Occasionally someone will wear a mask if they've been traveling or are about to travel somewhere and want to be extra careful, but mostly our small group has not been wearing them for a couple of months now. And if anyone is wondering if they've been exposed they just stay home and join worship via Zoom. And of course we don't wear masks for shared refreshments or meals.
We've had to be gentle with one another's concern and needs - both physical and emotional.
Cambridge: From Chris Jorgenson:
FMC has had much much strategic planning. We’ve had listening sessions - is it time to unmask? If so, how? If not, why? Our result has been that, for the moment, we have our balcony and a corner of the meeting room as “mask optional”. We have a committee charged with generally deciding, for instance, if the color of the alert goes up to red, what we do to clamp down again. In our meetinghouse, we have exhaust fans in the windows of the balcony. Windows are opened 6” on the ground floor. Our coat rack doesn’t get much use . . . We are just now resuming eating together in the Friends Room. Masks on while going through the line, masks off while eating. We have refreshments after meeting, same rules. (Hard to drink coffee with a mask on . . . . . ) Other events, like lectures, are masked, while giving the presenter the option of un-masked if they are ten feet away from the audience. Outdoors is a liberated space. Some people don’t feel they can return to meeting with these rules. I don’t think some people want to risk covid at all, so we will not be seeing them in person, period. Almost all events are hybrid. I wish you blessings in your discernment. Not an easy decision.
(and in response to my question on vaccination requirement) No (requirement). Vaccination has been even more controversial. In my view, from what we are seeing now, vaccinations help the recipient avoid heavy symptoms but may not make the community safer, lots of vaccinated people getting Covid.
From Website: Optional masking at FMC events is permitted when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Community Level for Middlesex County stoplight [“CDC Stoplight”] is yellow or green. When the stoplight is red, masking at all events is required. CDC posts their weekly stoplight on Thursday evenings by 8:00pm.
In January 2023, FMC approved optional masking in the Meetinghouse balcony and to the left of the fireplace for Meeting for Worship or for Meeting for Business in Worship when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Community Level for Middlesex County stoplight [“CDC Stoplight”] is yellow or green.
HEART (HEAlthy Reopening Team) has decided that we will suspend indoor coffee hours and require mandatory masking in the Meetinghouse and Friends Center during any week(s) when the CDC stoplight for Middlesex County is red. Any such suspensions would be ended when the CDC stoplight goes back to yellow or green. CDC posts their weekly stoplight on Thursday evenings by 8:00pm.
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From Thomas Sander:
In summary:
- We have a meeting prior to Meeting for Worship (Forum) that remains mask required but is also on zoom hybrid. That room is ventilated.
- At Meeting for Worship (which is also zoom hybrid) we have optional masking in the balcony of Meetinghouse and area to the left of the fireplace as you come in, but we have required ventilation and fans in the balcony that help with ventilation
- At Afterthoughts (after meeting for worship) which meets in a smaller space we have mask required (but it is also on zoom hybrid). That room is ventilated.
- we have restored coffee hour which is outside when weather allows (unmasked) and otherwise inside (masks not required)
- we have resumed simple lunches (masks not required)
- we just recently approved resuming potlucks
- small groups (under 20) can choose to meet unmasked and can choose whether or not to have windows open
Providence Meeting:
Providence Monthly Meeting transitioned slowly out of COVID restrictions. The Meetinghouse Management Committee was given the task to monitor the local situation and recommend protocols for safety. We were attending only online for nearly a year, then began to hold in person worship with required masking and vaccination records and ensuring social distance. During 2022, we began to transition into recommending masking, but not requiring it and we stopped checking vaccination records. In person participants were registered into the meetinghouse using a spreadsheet so that we could notify Friends if there was exposure to COVID on any Sunday. At the beginning of 2023, we let Friends know that it was up to each individual to decide if they wanted to stay masked during our coffee hour downstairs. This month, we are discontinuing registration of meeting for worship participants, and although we do not require masking, we still recommend it in the worship room.
By the way, our online worship has continued through all this time and it is combined with the in person worship every other First Day so that both groups can be in each other's presence.
Hartford Monthly Meeting (CT):
Does not require vaccination. “At Hartford Meeting (CT), we had an Ad Hoc COVID Policy Committee that I clerked for almost 3 years. At our April business meeting we recommended dropping our COVID restrictions starting on May 8, and the meeting approved the changes. We had announced our intentions in March so that Friends had time to think it over and prepare for the change.
So starting next week, we will not be requiring masks and we will allow food inside the building. We did this because of the Federal emergency ending, COVID numbers going down, and timed it so that we can have the windows open.
We are still using air purifiers and most of us are using elbow bumps instead of handshakes. I’m happy to talk with you if you have any questions about any of this.
With love,
Louanne McDonald”
North Shore (MA)
Like most other meetings, we continue to wrestle with this question. Now, some people believe COVID is over but it is not. A new Omicron variant ('arcturus" or XBB 1.16) has entered our country via India where this new variant produced lots of sick people. Currently about 12.5% of reported COVID cases in the US are now of that variant (an increase from 7.5% a couple of weeks ago). I am a public health professional and know that we are not out of the weeds, although most people are not getting very sick, thanks to immunity against serious disease that has developed over the last couple of years. But still COVID continues to be dangerous for people who are not in good health and/or not vaccinated/boosted.
We are meeting in person again 3 out of the 4 Sundays a month since early April. We choose to meet on Zoom on the Sundays that we have meeting for the conduct of business to limit the time we'd be together indoors.
Our latest protocol is that we ask everyone with any flu or cold-like symptoms to test I heard people say their symptoms are just allergies (which could be true) but this is not necessarily the case. For example a close relative of mine thought she had allergies but then tested positive. Also, conjunctivitis can be a symptom of the new variant, apparently especially in kids, and not necessarily an allergy symptom, so, again, people should test.
When in doubt we ask people to stay away (which is hard because we are not a hybrid meeting) but this for the sake of others. If they only have occasional sniffles or a tendency to cough (after having tested negative) we ask them to wear a mask. Some people continue to show up with masks, but most don't wear them anymore.
We did not require vaccinations and boosters. I would have liked to require this but these matters were discussed in our ministry and counsel committee [but there wasn’t unity on requiring them]. So we went on Zoom in the winter months and were outside as long as we could (in 2021 that was until December !! and last year until sometime in November). When we went back inside we required anyone not vaccinated to sit at a distance from the rest and wear a mask.
For a couple of months we asked everyone to test on Sunday morning before coming to worship and/or wear a mask, until I realized that you could be infected on Saturday night and not show a positive test for several days. It remained a difficult navigation.
We hope soon to be able to meet outside again but I keep reminding people we are not done with COVID.
In peace,
Sylvia
Northampton Meeting's experience:
In March 2020 when we could see the virus coming, an email conversation was started among meeting leaders about how we would hold our monthly potluck lunch. By the next Sunday, business meeting, we had begun to realize the dimensions of the issue and we appointed a Health & Safety Committee (made up of a retired doctor, retired nurse, former town health agent, and a retired tech person who was also on Worship & Ministry). The Sunday after, we started meeting on Zoom, thanks to the expertise of the tech person. We continued on Zoom till mid 2021. Meanwhile Health & Safety researched computer technology, hired a tech consultant, and bought a set-up to be able to have a hybrid, or blended, meeting.
In July 2021 we started the in-person meetings in the meetinghouse. About one-third gathered at the meetinghouse, and two-thirds were present on zoom. (There were and are various reasons for wanting to be on zoom - self-protection from Covid, mobility/health issues, distance, and not wanting to wear masks, which are required at the meetinghouse. I'm sure there are also people who had gotten used to rolling out of bed and onto the computer and liked the convenience.) We are now about half and half at the meetinghouse and on zoom.
In the beginning, Health & Safety said that everyone in the meetinghouse must be vaccinated, and unvaccinated people should attend on zoom. After a few weeks, after someone pointed out that that was unwelcoming to unvaccinated people, and possibly also because the CDC by then had recognized that vaccinated people could catch and spread Covid too, they changed to a more equal message, that everyone in the meetinghouse must be masked, and saying nothing about vaccination. (At that time I knew of three people in the meeting who were unvaccinated, all for reason of chronic illness. They were also pretty unlikely to want to go in-person to the meetinghouse.)
We have continued with that same rule to today, with some tweaking. At some point when we began to offer snacks after meeting, the rule was the masks were required except when eating and drinking. That morphed into masks were required in the meeting room but optional in the social room. That is still the rule, though I think Health & Safety may be meeting to reconsider masks. (Especially since they are hearing that some people would come in person except for having to wear a mask.)
Attendance has been pretty good through all this time. We were typically in the 40s on Sunday mornings, we may have dipped into the 30s during Covid but are now strongly up in the 40s. We also have a midweek meeting on zoom that is well attended.
Mt Toby:
I'll add the little I know about our neighbor, Mt Toby, half an hour away. They haven't done as well, I think. They were slower to get on the ball with technology, and their Health committee had medical/health people but not tech people. They met outdoors for a while. When they met indoors, they required that everyone in the main meeting room be vaccinated, and they had a parallel meeting in the social room for both vaccinated and unvaccinated, and I think the zoom connection was to that group as well (so no computer in the main meeting room). They had one vocal unvaccinated person, and I understand that person has since left the meeting because they felt they had been treated badly. I think Mt Toby's attendance was something like 60 before Covid, 30 after.
- Eleanor Warnock
Monadnock Meeting:
(conversation with Jackie Stillwell): Monadnock has never required vaccinations. They have been masking in entire meetinghouse until recently. Now there are two rooms where you may remove mask (Library and toddler room) for eating and fellowship. They worshipped outside until winter, and then they have been opening windows and doors, requiring them to wear coats. They continue to monitor air quality and open windows to improve it. Those wishing to be safer sit nearer the windows. They know some people can not come if they must be masked, and others will not come if everyone is not masked. Having the meeting room remains a required mask area allows the latter to attend.
Amesbury Meeting:
With the advice of our Meeting member (and primary care provider), Jeremy James, We have relaxed our Covid vigilance in stages. Now social distancing and mask wearing are optional. Our Meeting is spacious, but was usually divided in half by a tall divider; we have permanently raised that divider doubling the building's volume. They never required vaccinations because they knew they already all had vaccinations.but keep masks near door.
Beacon Hill Sarah Gant wrote:
“Because Beacon Hill Monthly Meeting meets inside Beacon Hill Friends House, the meeting follows the direction of the House (which is open to feedback on policy).
At this time, upon entering everyone is asked to be masked and to sign in on a contact form so that if anyone tests positive after a particular gathering all present can be contacted. On the same sign-in, we ask for full compliance with all Covid vaccinations.
The meeting room has air purifiers. In warmer weather, once we started to have fellowship and pot lucks again, they have been in our open courtyard. In inclement weather, they can happen indoors and people can lift their masks as they eat or drink.
Beacon Hill too is thinking it is time for a check in with the House again to see if it is time for a shift in policy (now that even some medical offices and hospitals are relaxing masking protocols).
We will see, but happily members and attenders have been pretty easy with all of this all along.
North Sandwich (NH):
NSFM did not meet in the winter months. Sadly we have no issue with socially distancing...our attendance has diminished to 3-4 persons.
When we resumed in-person meeting in mid-April we spread out between the winter and summer room. The majority of those in attendance have health issues so they always mask. We do have a small sign in the vestibule "Let us spread LOVE not covid, please wear a mask."
We've had no in-person meetings other than worship. We zoom for Meeting for Business, primarily because of the geographic distance.
We never did ask people to vaccinate. However, when unknown persons came we did ask them to distance if they were not masked. We had masks on the entrance table. All of our social time was outdoors.
With love, Susan
Addendum: Hartford Meeting Guidelines:
Approved 4/16/23 Business Meeting
Hartford Monthly Meeting
Health and Safety Guidelines
April 16, 2023
The Hartford Monthly Meeting guidelines for use of the Meetinghouse during the COVID-19 pandemic were designed to reflect our care for the community and our concern for vulnerable populations. These recommendations were periodically reviewed and updated by the Ad Hoc COVID Policy Committee to reflect current guidelines and research. With the downgrading of the Covid-19 pandemic to an endemic, the Ad-hoc Covid committee met and revised the guidelines. We felt that it was time to rename the committee to the Health and Safety Committee and, over time, expand the guidelines to include a wider variety of safety concerns.
Wearing of Masks
Effective May 8, 2023: Masks are not required but may be worn at the discretion of each person. Masks will still be available at the Meetinghouse.
Meetinghouse Guidelines
- Air purifiers are located in all main rooms. Just before vacating the space, turn them to low speed. They may be turned off 24 hours after use of the space.
- If weather permits, windows and doors should be opened during gatherings.
- Hand sanitizer is available and frequent handwashing is recommended.
Meeting for Worship Guidelines
- Zoom alternatives will be offered for Meeting for Worship and other events as feasible. We recommend attending via Zoom if you are feeling ill.
- Meeting for Worship may be ended with a handshake, elbow bump, wave or fist bump. COVID-19 Notification and Exposure Guidelines
- If you or someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, please notify the Meeting Clerk if you have been in the Meetinghouse or at a Meeting event in the past week. Confidentiality will be maintained according to your wishes.
- If you have been exposed to COVID-19, please keep your mask on at Meeting events (including outdoors during social hour) for 10 days after the date of exposure. Please also consider testing for COVID-19 before attending Meeting events.
General Recommendations
We recommend when gathering for Meeting related activities in someone’s home or in a building other than the meetinghouse, that you keep in mind the best practices for protecting the vulnerable among us.
Items to Add Under the New Health and Safety Committee
- For building safety, only the main entrance on the front porch and the side lift entrance should be unlocked for entering the building.
- Hearing assist equipment and wipes to sanitize them will be available.
- Childcare workers are wearing masks thru June 30 th and Religious Ed committee will reassess their guidelines
Portland Meeting Policy under review May 7:
Covid Health Advisory Group
Proposal Regarding Change to Masking Practices
Presented to Meeting for Business – May 7, 2023
Background: In September 2022 we returned to the Meetinghouse and began a period of hybrid weekly worship and monthly Meeting for Business. During this time, masking has been required in the Meeting Room, except that people are encouraged to lower their mask when delivering a message or otherwise speaking. Masks are optional throughout the rest of the Meetinghouse. We said we would revisit the issue in the spring, and we have done so by inviting feedback by phone and email, and by having a series of worship sharing sessions.
The Covid Health Advisory Group now proposes the following:
- The entire Meetinghouse, including the Meeting Room, will become a Masks Welcome space, instead of masks required. This is a subtle but important shift in emphasis from stating that masks are “optional.” Those who wish to wear a mask are fully welcome to do so, and no explanation or excuse for wearing one is expected.
The Advisory Group has reached unity on this proposal based on the following considerations:
- Virus transmission rates have remained relatively modest for several months, and the trends continue to move in a positive direction. We are also much better protected than in 2020, as vaccines, past exposure, and new treatments have substantially lessened the risk of hospitalizations, death, and long Covid.
- Sharon McDonnell has offered to monitor the local wastewater data and provide an early alert of any new variants or other indicators of heightened risk.
- With warmer weather coming, we can open the windows, which will increase air circulation and reduce the risk of community spread. Conversely, the discomfort of masks increases on hot days.
- For those of us who wish to lower the risk of contracting or transmitting Covid as much as possible, we can continue to wear tight-fitting N-95 (or equivalent) masks, and we can sit near an open window. Although quantitative data is hard to come by, such measures do substantially lower your risk.
- There is a practical, emotional, and spiritual value to being able to see entire faces during worship and Meeting for Business.
- Feedback to the Co-Clerks and messages offered during Worship Sharing indicates that, although we have varying degrees of trepidation, we are ready for this change. There is no perfect masking practice that works for everyone, including our current practice. There are some of us who are hesitant or unable to attend Meeting if we are not fully masked. At the same time, there are others of us who experience masks as more than a minor irritant, whether because of breathing difficulties, interference with hearing aids, or fogged up glasses.
A somewhat related issue is whether we wish to continue hybrid meetings, both for weekly worship and for monthly business meetings. We will plan to consider that issue at a later time, perhaps in the fall once we have a full year of regular hybrid worship to reflect upon.
Any change can be difficult to process, and we understand that this new masking practice, if approved, will be more difficult for some of us than others. We ask that we be tender and vulnerable with each other as we feel our way through this next step of the pandemic.
