Dear People:
In the KING'S DAY work, THERE WAS A SERIOUS BREACH OF PROTOCOL.
Close to 30 of us who attended the King's Day work were subsequently infected with Influenza A, a highly infectious virus running through the community at large and now our own community. It spread in our work because one or more of us attended the work when sick. Or thinking they might be getting sick, but deciding to come anyway.
This happened despite years of conversations and letters to the community (see below) imploring people to NOT ATTEND if you are even a hint sick or with recent close exposure to sick friends/partners/roommates. We have chosen to presume trust that we are all adults and care - if not enough for ourselves - for the health and well-being of our leaders and brothers and sisters. Someone forgot.
The virus entering our circle resulted in a number of people requiring urgent care and medical intervention. In addition, many people are experiencing income loss due to 1-2 weeks off work. Vacations have been ruined. And the personal toll of being so sick is not easy to quantify.
I am not going to reiterate the specifications for remaining home. Honestly people, I am rather annoyed I need to be writing this email. It is easy and only requires common sense to evaluate where you are at and choose what is good for the whole . If we talk about truly loving ourselves and each other, we need to be more awake. We need to bring that love and respect into practice.
Send prayers to all. Many continue to be very sick.
THE WORK SCHEDULED FOR 1/18 IS CANCELLED.
Mona Tara
JUST A FEW SAMPLES FROM PAST EMAILS:
The church board has decided that covid tests will not be required before attending a work, at this time. However, it is still necessary to take much care regarding contagious illness. We are entering into the winter season and there will likely be much more influenza and other viral illnesses, as well as Covid, this winter. It is very important to not attend a work if you have symptoms of an illness, even if they are mild. Someone could have mild symptoms but spread a virus that could make others quite sick. Please be mindful of the need to protect your brothers and sisters, and make an honest self inquiry about your own state of health before attending. May the light guide you and help us all to have a wonderful Winter Festival with the amazing blessing of the Daime.
Thank you! Beverly
Please do not come to a work if you have any symptoms that may be from an illness, or are in doubt about even a mild symptom. Also please do not attend if you have had a recent close exposure. It may take several days to get symptoms and you may be contagious to others before you have any symptoms yourself.
If you are sick with something that may be COVID, we request that you test yourself to confirm. Testing on 2 days is best, as the first test may be negative even if you do have COVID. If you do have COVID, we require that you stay away from attending a work until 11 days after the start of the symptoms. The CDC has different isolation requirements but they include wearing a mask around others indoors, which is not practical for us at a Daime work. When recovering from other contagious illnesses, such as the flu, please do not attend a work if you continue to have symptoms, such as a cough. Most of the time you will no longer be contagious 2 weeks after the start of the illness.
Please follow these guidelines seriously out of respect for the health and safety of your brothers and sisters.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE BULLETIN
Recent COVID cases in our community have led us to realize our
safety criteria are unclear.
Please use the following as Policy Guidelines.
If ever you have any question, please contact
chlqcomm@gmail.com
Viral Syndromes
- recognize these are most common and widespread with
a wide variety of symptoms.
- including common cold, influenza A + B, RSV, etc
DO NOT attend any ceremony if you suspect you have a viral syndrome.
You are likely no longer infectious by 2 weeks from onset of symptoms
and will be allowed to come to ceremony after the 2 week mark.*
COVID
We utilize CDC guidelines, with a slightly more conservative approach.
Remember if you suspect covid, it may take several days for your test to turn positive. If at first negative, retest in 1-2 days. Isolate at first suspicion of possible infection. If you test positive for COVID, note first date of symptoms.
We will allow return to church after 11 days from first symptom plus a negative test at that time.
COVID can return as a person improves so if you test negative but later positive, you must start a recount of 11 days from the new positive.
Importantly, if you have a KNOWN exposure/close contact with Covid,
DO NOT attend ceremony until you are free of symptoms at least 5 days. The time from contact to actual symptoms of the more recent strains can be anywhere from 2 to 14 days, but most likely 2-5 days. Please be honest with yourself around this. People can shed virus and spread covid for several days before experiencing any signs at all.
* If you have an ongoing severe cough, please contact CHLQ to discuss the matter
-Mona
However, this puts a bigger responsibility on each person attending to careful and mindful of the potential risk to others at the Work. We still have had significant outbreaks from Works not long ago. It is very important to not attend the Work if you have any symptoms, as even a sore throat and nasal congestion can be the first signs of Covid. Of course, there are many other symptoms, some very mild.
If you have a significant known exposure to Covid, you may be contagious before you know you have gotten sick. It may take as few as 2-3 days or up to 10 days before you are infected and contagious yourself after exposure. You are no longer requested by CDC to quarantine, during that time, but it is recommended to wear a mask for at least 5 days after exposure and then test negative, before taking off the mask. Because wearing a mask is not really an option for us, we need to ask that you stay away from Works for at least 5 days after a known exposure AND test negative before attending.
If you are recovering from Covid, you could conceivably come to a Work one week after symptoms started, IF your symptoms are resolved AND you test negative twice, on day 5 and day 7 (per CDC). If you still have symptoms at a week or test positive, we ask that you stay away.
Thank you all for your love, patience and tolerance during this changing time. We have to stay mindful of the welfare of others and be willing to sacrifice our own desires for the safety of our brothers and sisters. And please continue to listen to your own inner guidance about whether attending the work is right for you, as there continues to be some risk, especially to those most susceptible. May you be blessed and guided by the Light.
-Beverly
However, it is still necessary to take much care regarding contagious illness. We are entering into the winter season and there will likely be much more influenza and other viral illnesses, as well as Covid, this winter. It is very important to not attend a work if you have symptoms of an illness, even if they are mild. Someone could have mild symptoms but spread a virus that could make others quite sick. Please be mindful of the need to protect your brothers and sisters, and make an honest self inquiry about your own state of health before attending. May the light guide you and help us all to have a wonderful Winter Festival with the amazing blessing of the Daime.
Thank you! Beverly
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Both Covid and some other bugs are circulating again. Please be alert, vigilant, and truthful with yourself about any symptoms, and don't come if you have any symptoms, or are in doubt about even a mild symptom. Also please do not attend if you have had a recent close exposure.
Please follow these guidelines seriously out of respect for the health and safety of your brothers and sisters. Caring for each other is our first priority.
Blessings,
The Board
Please don't come if you have any symptoms, or are in doubt about even a mild symptom. Also please do not attend if you have had a recent close exposure. Please follow these guidelines seriously out of respect for the health and safety of your brothers and sisters.
Please do not come to a work if you have any symptoms that may be from an illness, or are in doubt about even a mild symptom. Also please do not attend if you have had a recent close exposure. It may take several days to get symptoms and you may be contagious to others before you have any symptoms yourself.
If you are sick with something that may be COVID, we request that you test yourself to confirm. Testing on 2 days is best, as the first test may be negative even if you do have COVID. If you do have COVID, we require that you stay away from attending a work until 11 days after the start of the symptoms. The CDC has different isolation requirements but they include wearing a mask around others indoors, which is not practical for us at a Daime work. When recovering from other contagious illnesses, such as the flu, please do not attend a work if you continue to have symptoms, such as a cough. Most of the time you will no longer be contagious 2 weeks after the start of the illness.
Please follow these guidelines seriously out of respect for the health and safety of your brothers and sisters.
From 2018!:
My brothers and sisters, as cold and flu season will be upon us soon, the CHLQ board would like to take a more proactive approach to minimizing transmission of virus between church members at works. We recognize there are several areas where we can do better. One way is for all of us to be more cognizant of when we are still infectious and to not attend works when we are infectious to others. Please take a moment to view this short npr video about cold and flu transmission. "You are contagious one day before you get sick and for 7 days after you realize you are sick." We'll have more suggestions in future updates.
Thank You for your attention.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/02/20/585143079/how-long-are-you-contagious-with-the-flu
