Due to the continuous downward trends in COVID-19 positivity rates
throughout Western New York, and following public health
recommendations, we are now ready to make some adjustments to our
council’s safety guidelines.
Starting on Wednesday, March
2, 2022, masks will now be optional for all indoor meetings and events
regardless of vaccination status. This shift aligns with the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance, and New York
State K-12 school guidelines.
The CDC has updated
COVID-19 Community Spread Levels on their website. The Community
Levels are determined by new COVID-19 related hospital admissions over
the previous week, the percentage of hospital beds occupied by
COVID-19 patients, and new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people over
the previous week.
The Community Levels are categorized
as high, medium, and low. Universal masking indoors is recommended by
the CDC when community levels are listed as high. Currently, as of
3/1/22, Cattaraugus County is listed as low, and all other GSWNY
counties; Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara,
Orleans and Wyoming are listed as medium.
Following this
guidance, GSWNY will not require masking indoors when our nine
counties are listed as low or medium. However, be prepared that if
GSWNY counties are listed as high, that masking indoors will once
again be required. Please note that the CDC recommends that
anyone at high risk for serious illness consult with their healthcare
provider about wearing a mask and any other health precautions.
It’s important to be aware of a few things:
- The Community Levels could change at any time, which could also impact our council’s safety guidance
- Updates to GSWNY’s COVID-19 Safety guidance ONLY include the wearing of masks. Our council will still practice all other safety measures including social distancing for the time being
- If you are attending a troop meeting or a program where the vendor and/or facility requires a mask, you must adhere to their guidelines
- Anyone who is experiencing symptoms should not attend GSWNY programs or activities and should contact their doctor immediately for guidance
- The CDC is still updating their guidance including social distancing based on recent changes, and GSWNY will continue to monitor, assess and communicate any additional changes to our guidelines
- The CDC recommends vaccination for COVID-19 for all who are eligible; GSWNY encourages all members to consult with their healthcare provider for decisions on vaccination
We are expecting additional public health recommendations over the
next few weeks regarding social distancing, isolation, and quarantine
guidelines. COVID-19 is still a serious health risk, and we will
continue to monitor recommendations and are prepared to make
additional changes if needed.
For now, please
click here for our updated GSWNY COVID-19 safety guidelines,
which again is in alignment with public health guidance. We have also
included conversation
starters for you and your family to help navigate everyone in
our council through this transition.
Please also
understand every girl, member, volunteer, and staff member will need
time to process this change. We know that some will choose to wear a
mask, some will not, and some are still unsure what they will do. We
also understand that some may choose to wear a mask when they are in
close proximity to others or when in a large crowd.
We
want to remind everyone that harassment or pressure about an
individual’s choice to wear or not wear a mask will not be tolerated.
Everyone should feel welcomed and comfortable making their own
individual choice.
Please feel free to contact us at customercare@gswny.org
or call 1-888-837-6410. In an emergency, please call
1-800-882-9268.
Thank you again for your dedication to
ensuring safety standards and for all you do!
Have you been exposed to COVID-19, but testing negative yourself? Please refer to the most current CDC guidelines found here.