UULA Safety Guidelines for In-Person Services

Drafted by Mo Allen, Riva Goldman, Travis Reynolds, and Tyler Smith
We will continue to assess COVID trends locally week-by-week and
inform the congregation with any new updates.

UPDATED: JANUARY 29, 2023

Because the LA County community risk level has returned to LOW, we will follow our Covid Policy and return to optional indoor masking effective Sunday, January 29th. If community risk levels return to Medium or High, we will return to mandatory masking. Though masks will be optional, they are strongly encouraged and we will continue to provide masks to those who need them. If you are feeling under the weather or have tested positive for Covid-19, please stay home and join our virtual service.

DECEMBER 15, 2022

Because the LA County community risk level has returned to HIGH, we will be following through with our policy of returning to mandatory masking until risk levels return to low. This will take effect on Sunday, December 18th, for church service.

To clarify, we will be following this current protocol:

Well-fitting masks must be worn at all times for indoor gatherings even if you’re vaccinated

We strongly encourage the use of respirator masks (KN95s, N95s), since they have been found to be the only masking option that is truly protective
The church will have KN95s for your use if you need one
Masks should fully cover your mouth and nose at all times
We also strongly recommend vaccinations and boosters to protect yourself

Six feet social-distancing will be maintained indoors
To provide ventilation, doors and windows will remain open for worship services
Hand-sanitizer and mask stations will be positioned throughout the gathering space
Please do not attend in-person services if you are feeling under the weather or are Covid-positive. Please follow CDC’s current quarantine guidelines.

UPDATED: October 9, 2022

The Board has approved an updated Covid Safety Protocol that will take effect on October 9, 2022. As always, we will continue to monitor the Covid trends and adjust our guidelines appropriately to keep our community safe and continue to enjoy our wonderful in-person services. Many thanks for your continued cooperation and care for our community during this unique time.

Updated UULA Safety Guidelines for In-Person Gatherings:

Masks will be optional, though strongly encouraged, while we are at low community risk (according to CovidActNow.org). If we move to Medium or High community risk, we will return to mandatory masking indoors
- The church will continue to provide KN95 masks, which have been found to be the masking option that is truly protective
Please do not attend in-person services if you are feeling under the weather or you are Covid-positive
We strongly encourage all who attend in-person services to be fully vaccinated (including booster)
Doors and windows will remain open during worship services to provide ventilation
Hand-sanitizer and mask stations will remain available
We will continue to provide socially distanced seating arrangements

Continued thanks for your cooperation, flexibility, patience, and care.

UPDATED: MARCH 27, 2022 RE-OPENING

After a hard Omicron winter, we’re so happy we can gather once again at our beautiful church and continue to foster community — both in-person and online.

The board and the Covid Safety Team have been balancing a lot of different sources of information, member input, and guidance in our safety decision-making. A lot about the pandemic has changed since we last met in-person, and we understand there is a wide spectrum of risk comfort in the community — some people are ready to return to a semblance of normalcy, while others are still justifiably concerned about the dangers of continual spread, rising sub-variants across the globe, and protecting our vulnerable members.

Given these diverse views, we ask that the community embraces the values of patience, flexibility, compassion, listening, and community care as we transition back to in-person gathering.

Synthesizing all this, the board has decided to ground ourselves in an abundance of caution and continue the pre-Omicron safety guidelines with some slight updates:

UPDATED UULA SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR IN-PERSON GATHERINGs

Well-fitting masks must be worn at all times for indoor gatherings even if you’re vaccinated
- We strongly encourage the use of respirator masks (KN95s, N95s), since they have been found to be the only masking option that is truly protective
- The church will have KN95s for your use if you need one
- Masks should fully cover your mouth and nose at all times
Six feet social-distancing will be maintained indoors
To communicate your risk comfort, a simple color sticker method will be implemented at services. See below for details.
To provide ventilation, doors and windows will remain open for worship services
Hand-sanitizer and mask stations will be positioned throughout the gathering space
Please do not attend in-person services if you are feeling under the weather or are Covid-positive. Please follow CDC’s current quarantine guidelines.

And even though we are not requiring proof of vaccination, we strongly encouarge that:

All in-person participants should be fully vaccinated (including booster). This promotion is endorsed by UUA, which states: “Vaccines are the first, best line of defense against COVID-19. However, children under 5 are still not eligible for vaccines, and vaccines are not available or less effective for people who are immunocompromised. Promoting vaccination is aligned with our principles as an act of care for ourselves, and to protect those who are most vulnerable in our community.”

STICKERS: communicating your risk comfort level

As stated earlier, people’s risk comfort levels cover a wide range during this challenging transition out of the Omicron surge. To address this, it has been recommended and modeled that we use a simple color sticker system. No matter what an individual’s risk comfort is, each level is completely valid and should be respected by all.

The following sticker colors will be provided at Sunday’s worship greeting table and you can place your desired risk level on your name tag or clothes:

RED = I’m glad to see you, but prefer to maintain a 6’ distance :)
YELLOW = I’m comfortable being closer but prefer no hugging. Fist or elbow bumps please!
GREEN = I welcome hugs, but please do ask me first
If you don’t use a sticker, RED will be the default risk comfort unless you communicate otherwise.

ARCHIVED: JULY 11, 2021 re-OPENING

We are so thrilled to return to our beloved church on July 11, 2021!

As we approach our reopening, please be patient as we make this transition with an abundance of caution for everyone’s safety. We will take baby-steps toward returning to normal services and reassess the safety measures needed week by week.

For the first month back, please adhere to the safety guidelines listed below if you plan to attend service in person. If you do not feel safe returning yet, please attend services virtually.

In understanding our approach to these guidelines, we’ve also outlined our reasoning behind our decisions.

primary SOURCES OF GUIDANCE: UUA and LA COUNTY

With the advent of the vaccines, we are grateful to be in a position to return to in-person gathering. However, with the emergence of the Delta variant, the situation is still fluid and worth taking seriously. With that in mind, our main sources of guidance have come from the Unitarian Universalist Association and LA County, which both recommend that we:

Maintain a culture of wearing masks indoors, even if you’re vaccinated

In general, our philosophy is to err on the side of too safe, rather than unsafe. Therefore, here are the key takeaways for in-person service:

Continue to wear masks
Maintain social distancing during service
Maintain sanitizing hands
No congregational singing for now

We are driven to protect our community as we physically come together as community. The following guidelines our are attempt at doing that.

complete IN-PERSON guidelines

Following LA County and UUA guidelines, masks must be worn indoors even if you are vaccinated. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you.
For your safety and the safety of others, please do not attend in-person services if you are feeling under the weather. Please join our service online until you are feeling better.
For your safety and the safety of the community, we encourage you to get fully vaccinated before returning to in-person services. If you are still looking to get vaccinated, no appointment is needed at many locations. For more info: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/vaccine/hcwsignup/
Windows and doors will remain open to provide ventilation.
We will refrain from congregational singing for now. Small groups or soloists may sing from the pulpit. For now, only Orders of Service will be distributed, no hymn books.
Chairs will be spaced apart and we will practice social distancing while indoors.
Please keep a 6 foot distance when in line for Joys and Sorrow
When greeting each other, please refrain from hugs or handshakes for now.
The service associate will be responsible for sanitizing the podium and microphone before and after the speaker takes the pulpit.
The service associate and guest speaker may remove masks only once they have reached the podium.
Hand sanitizer will be available at several stations throughout the church, and we encourage you to wash your hands whenever needed.
We will not have lunch in Channing after service for now, but coffee and snacks will be provided after service in the courtyard.
If someone does get sick in the community, we will consider canceling in-person services for a period of time if necessary.

Thank you all for your patience and flexibility as we make this transition in the safest way possible!