Current assessment from the COVID Working Group (March 2022)
In recent weeks, many have become more relaxed about COVID, partly because many more of us have some degree of immunologic protection from the virus, both from vaccination, and the recent omicron surge, which seems to decrease risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID. Still, omicron still circulates and newer variants continue to be extremely transmissible.
As the COVID situation continues to change, we as a Meeting are staying the course, continuing our December Meeting for Business decision to use Virginia Department of Health (VDH) guidelines for risk assessment and corresponding recommendations for risk mitigation as the framework for developing guidance for use of the Meetinghouse during this time. We remain open to changing strategies as the COVID situation changes.
-- The three key mitigation tools are still masking, ventilation, and distancing. Committees responsible for group use of the meetinghouse are tasked with figuring out how best to implement those strategies for the level of risk in our locality at a given time. Ministry & Worship Committee’s deliberations have been most evident, since they are responsible for worship gatherings. They are considering risk and responsibility very carefully, leading to opening, closing, and re-opening in-person worship. Also by experimenting with taping off benches to
encourage adequate distancing.
-- With the VDH framework, Richmond and surrounding counties have remained in the “substantial” community transmission brackets. RFM has aligned with VDH and will remain so. When we move to a safer bracket, we will take appropriate action. Though not quickly, given Covid’s ability to change quickly.
-- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now putting much greater emphasis on the burden on a community’s health care systems, reflecting that Omicron has caused more cases, but fewer hospitalizations. In the CDC system, communities are sorted into low, medium and high levels, and Richmond and surrounding counties have tended to be low or medium. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html,
-- While the new CDC brackets may be useful in your personal decisions, RFM remains committed to the VDH definition and recommendations. Ours must be a corporate rather than individual decision, recognizing that many of us are older and, for instance, statistically 80% of those over 65 have diabetes, heart conditions, or other issues that weaken their immune systems, even though they qualify for immunization. At the same time, we
strive to make in-person gathering a viable decision for as many of our community as possible.
The Covid Working Group applauds and appreciates everyone’s patience and offers any help we can provide as committees and others in meeting evaluate risk and implement strategies that continue our communal decision