[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Jeff Kaufman via Organizers]

"Participant numbers are down, but then that seems to be the case generally
for all post COVID events."

I think this varies a lot, though not in a way where I've figured out any
patterns.  For example our dance (Cambridge MA, N95 required, relatively
young group) has averaged  155 for the 12
months since restarting vs 127 for the 12 months immediately pre-covid.

Jeff



On Thu, Apr 13, 2023 at 4:11 PM Peter Martel via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Thanks Seth for helping to reset the tone. Agreed folks need to feel like
> they can share perspectives without concern.
>
> The OP’s question was:
>
> “I am very curious about what other organizers think. Is it time? And what
> should be our criteria for lifting our mandates?”
>
>
> That suggests a broader response beyond just what others are doing.
>
> For me the broader sharing along with the thinking behind it and related
> experiences and implications is helpful. There are many way to think and
> decide, so knowing the thinking beyond just the policy I lends to better
> decisions.
>
> Do we do what’s best for the most people? What is best? At the hospital,
> folks are asked to wear a mask to make others more comfortable. Do we
> expect the same from our dancers?
> I thought Woody shared most of what I was thinking. Specifically, contra
> dances made be the best way to spread disease. That said, maybe also good
> for building immunity, if we all survive.
>
> For me, important is the idea that I wear a mask mostly for others. For
> those who are immune compromised, and because people are still dying.
>
> I like the idea of different lines, and even alternating dances, where
> masks are required or not. This give options to everyone.
>
> But I also recall a suggestion a while back; we can go back to “normal”
> when COVID numbers align with Flu numbers. We all should know that varies
> significantly from year to year, both in transmission and severity, so it’s
> not an exact answer but a reasonable place to shoot for, and a risk level
> most folks tend to accept.
>
> So everyone knows, we have been dancing every Monday since January, with
> N95 masks required. We didn’t choose to ask for proof of vaccine. No
> problems with compliance, from young and old. Doesn’t seem to affect
> anyone’s ability to dance.   Participant numbers are down, but then that
> seems to be the case generally for all post COVID events. We expect numbers
> to increase over time.
>
> Maybe we’ll try alternating mask weeks and see what that does to our
> numbers. 樂
>
> Full disclosure: I’ll be helping the OP make the decision for MFS. Because
> we host a weekly dance alternating mask requirements each week is more
> viable than a monthly dance. But we plan to restart a (hopefully) larger
> monthly Saturday dance soon so the mask question has greater implications.
>
> Sent from miHand,
>
> Peter
>
> *‘…the slimmest of instructions, “To use your gifts and dreams for good.”
> ’*
> *— From Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer *
>
> On Apr 12, 2023, at 11:07 AM, Seth Seeger via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>
> * People are asking what others are doing.  Not asking for advice on what
> they *should* be doing.  Please don't offer unsolicited advice.  I think
> it is useful to hear what is happening at other dances.  But if there is
> going to be negative/critical feedback, people will not share.
>
> ___
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>
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Olivia Barry via Organizers]

Similar to Lou, here is a quick glimpse at what my local dance at the John
C. Campbell Folk School (Brasstown, North Carolina) is doing.

First, here is the Health and Safety Statement from the School:

"The Folk School is committed to providing everyone with a positive
experience of learning and sharing in a safe environment. Since our
reopening in May 2021, we have fulfilled our mission in a manner that makes
the safety and well-being of students, instructors, guests, visitors, and
staff our highest priority. In developing our safety protocols and
procedures, we are considering the guidelines of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authorities. We are also
considering the Folk School’s unique environment of many people coming
together to learn in our studios and live on campus."

Here is a link to the guidelines:
https://www.folkschool.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/covid-19-safety-guidelines.pdf

Based on the guidelines, you will find that as of November 20, 2022
vaccines are no longer mandatory. While there was an exception for the 2022
Winter Dance Week, the weekly dances no longer require proof of
vaccination. Masks are optional, but recommended. In the instance a student
at the Folk School experiences Covid-19 symptoms or tests positive, there
are procedures in order including contact tracing; however, I do not
believe we actively have contact tracing in place for our dances since they
are open to students and community members alike (without any formal
checking in process).

We maintain excellent attendance, especially from the community members
outside of those taking weekly and/or weekend classes. In some instances,
our attendance has actually grown. For example, our monthly ECD numbers
went from roughly 14-20 dancers to 45+ dancers. While I will not say this
is directly related to our guidelines, I will say there is a strong desire
to dance permeating throughout our community right now - people are very
eager to get back on the dance floor.

Please note, the Folk School indicates that the guidelines can be amended
at any time. There are no further updates as of today.

If you have any questions you would like to ask me off this thread, please
do not hesitate to reach out!

Happy dancing,

Olivia

On Thu, Apr 13, 2023 at 2:50 PM Lou Echeandia via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> In response to this general question, "what are others doing", I offer:
>
> 1. We at Oakland County Traditional Dance Society are a relatively small
> affiliate of CDSS and are in Southeastern Michigan. Our experiences thus
> far have ranged from full shutdown in 2021 to a "moderated" relaxed but
> respectful approach.
>
> 2. When we began again in April of last year we instituted what was
> considered to be a rigorous approach.  We required each entrant to complete
> a waver form, which also served as basis for a contact tracing database.
> We required full vaccination and proof of vaccination and identity. Masking
> was required.
> Each attendee is provided with a named badge indicating that the process
> for entry has been completed by this person.  Our attendance has been
> significantly lower over the entire period.  4/22 = 26, 6/22<10, 8/22 <20,
>
> 3. We have chosen to expect attendees are vaccinated, but do not ask for
> proof, still require new attendees to fill out contact tracing information,
> and state that masking is optional.  Each attendee is provided with a
> named badge indicating that the process for entry has been completed by
> this person.
> Our attendance levels have remained poor.   9/22<15, 12/22 <25, 1/23 =
> special event celebration = 135, 2/23 <15, 3/23 <10.
>
> Prior to COVID we were getting from 40 to 60 paying attendees.
>
> We have returned to offering free snacks.
>
> Lou Echeandia
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Darlene Hamilton via Organizers 
> To: Seth Seeger 
> Cc: A list for dance organizers 
> Sent: Wed, Apr 12, 2023 11:20 am
> Subject: [Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?
>
> Thank you Seth!
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 12, 2023 at 8:10 AM Seth Seeger via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I'd like people to consider a few things when discussing covid...
>
> * People are asking what others are doing.  Not asking for advice on what
> they *should* be doing.  Please don't offer unsolicited advice.  I think
> it is useful to hear what is happening at other dances.  But if there is
> going to be negative/critical feedback, people will not share.
>
> * This is email.  No one is going to change someone else's mind.  If you
> don't agree with the guidelines that a dance is using, don't go to it.
> Please don't attack or cri

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Lou Echeandia via Organizers]

Hi everyone, 
In response to this general question, "what are others doing", I offer:
1. We at Oakland County Traditional Dance Society are a relatively small 
affiliate of CDSS and are in Southeastern Michigan. Our experiences thus far 
have ranged from full shutdown in 2021 to a "moderated" relaxed but respectful 
approach.
2. When we began again in April of last year we instituted what was considered 
to be a rigorous approach.  We required each entrant to complete a waver form, 
which also served as basis for a contact tracing database.  We required full 
vaccination and proof of vaccination and identity. Masking was required.Each 
attendee is provided with a named badge indicating that the process for entry 
has been completed by this person.  Our attendance has been significantly lower 
over the entire period.  4/22 = 26, 6/22<10, 8/22 <20,
3. We have chosen to expect attendees are vaccinated, but do not ask for proof, 
still require new attendees to fill out contact tracing information, and state 
that masking is optional.  Each attendee is provided with a named badge 
indicating that the process for entry has been completed by this person.Our 
attendance levels have remained poor.   9/22<15, 12/22 <25, 1/23 = special 
event celebration = 135, 2/23 <15, 3/23 <10.

Prior to COVID we were getting from 40 to 60 paying attendees.
We have returned to offering free snacks.
Lou Echeandia
-Original Message-
From: Darlene Hamilton via Organizers 
To: Seth Seeger 
Cc: A list for dance organizers 
Sent: Wed, Apr 12, 2023 11:20 am
Subject: [Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

Thank you Seth!


On Wed, Apr 12, 2023 at 8:10 AM Seth Seeger via Organizers 
 wrote:

Hi everyone,
I'd like people to consider a few things when discussing covid...
* People are asking what others are doing.  Not asking for advice on what they 
should be doing.  Please don't offer unsolicited advice.  I think it is useful 
to hear what is happening at other dances.  But if there is going to be 
negative/critical feedback, people will not share.
* This is email.  No one is going to change someone else's mind.  If you don't 
agree with the guidelines that a dance is using, don't go to it.  Please don't 
attack or criticize the poster.  Often, the poster is only one person of a 
committee making the decisions.  Don't shoot the messenger.
* Please watch the tone of your email, or how others might perceive the tone of 
your email.  It might feel rude or critical, even if you didn't intend it.  
Responders - instead of jumping on someone publicly, please write to them 
privately, saying "that felt rude.  Did you intend it that way?"  Maybe they 
will apologize.  
* We are all doing our best here.  We are all coming from different geographic 
areas which each have their own particular local culture, especially regarding 
masking.  Please be kind to each other if someone else's guidelines don't agree 
with yours.
Bottom line:  This list is NOT a place to discuss the effectiveness of masks, 
vaccines, etc.  This is a thread asking what other people are doing.  No one 
has asked if others think their policy is good.
Thank you,Seth






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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Seth Seeger via Organizers]

Hi everyone,

I'd like people to consider a few things when discussing covid...

* People are asking what others are doing.  Not asking for advice on what they 
should be doing.  Please don't offer unsolicited advice.  I think it is useful 
to hear what is happening at other dances.  But if there is going to be 
negative/critical feedback, people will not share.

* This is email.  No one is going to change someone else's mind.  If you don't 
agree with the guidelines that a dance is using, don't go to it.  Please don't 
attack or criticize the poster.  Often, the poster is only one person of a 
committee making the decisions.  Don't shoot the messenger.

* Please watch the tone of your email, or how others might perceive the tone of 
your email.  It might feel rude or critical, even if you didn't intend it.  
Responders - instead of jumping on someone publicly, please write to them 
privately, saying "that felt rude.  Did you intend it that way?"  Maybe they 
will apologize.  

* We are all doing our best here.  We are all coming from different geographic 
areas which each have their own particular local culture, especially regarding 
masking.  Please be kind to each other if someone else's guidelines don't agree 
with yours.

Bottom line:  This list is NOT a place to discuss the effectiveness of masks, 
vaccines, etc.  This is a thread asking what other people are doing.  No one 
has asked if others think their policy is good.

Thank you,
Seth


> On Apr 12, 2023, at 10:33 AM, Emily Addison via Organizers 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hi Folks :)
> 
> I was hoping to chime in too.  Although likely not as eloquently as I would 
> like.
> 
> I really appreciated Chrissy's email about being open and this being a place 
> of learning.  I really value talking with and learning from other organizers. 
> It's great to hear various perspectives.
> 
> In my own little microcosm of the Ottawa Ontario area, I see varying 
> perspectives.
> 
> The Ottawa Contra Dance community (which has been dancing for around 30 years 
> and which I helped organize for a decade) still has mandatory masks. I know 
> there are differing views in that community.
> 
> And there's a new dance series 40min north of here in the Quebec Hills which 
> I'm calling at.  At that event, there are 70-100 people and virtually no one 
> is wearing a mask. There's not even any communication about masks or 
> vaccines.  I'm sure there are at least a few people who aren't coming because 
> there are no masks ... on the other hand... this is a brand new series filled 
> with so much joy and it's super multi-generational and bringing in both the 
> francophone and anglophone communities as well as some members of the LGBTQ2 
> community.
> 
> Further afield, I see Montreal Contra being very clear in their communication 
> that masks are required, and then no masks being worn at the Quebec Contra 
> dances.
> 
> I danced recently in Syracuse and I personally appreciated their policy. 
> https://syracusecountrydancers.org/covid-19-mitigation-protocols/
> 
> I wanted to add one last perspective that I think it a bit interesting. Last 
> year, I had stage 3 breast cancer and so underwent 4 months of pretty serious 
> chemo where my immune system was REALLY low.  There was absolutely no way I 
> was going to go to a dance, even if everyone was masked.  It's just my 
> perspective for that window of time, but I was happy other people were 
> dancing period  and it didn't bother me that there were dances happening 
> where people were unmasked and I couldn't go.  There were lots of things I 
> couldn't do but I appreciated that those folks were having fun in different 
> ways.  Again.. just my perspective.
> 
> I think it's wonderful that communities choosing different practices... what 
> feels best for their series and their community. It's wonderful to hear the 
> variety of responses in these very unusual times.
> 
> :) Emily n Ottawa
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Apr 12, 2023 at 9:10 AM Woody Lane via Organizers 
>  > wrote:
>> Hi Everyone,
>> 
>> Seth suggested a 2-day cooling off period before any new posts on this 
>> topic. A good idea. I am traveling in Australia right now, and between the 
>> 200 different time zones, the switch to standard time from daylight savings 
>> time, and the international date line, it’s taken me about 2 days to figure 
>> out the 2-day lag. In any case, hoping enough time has passed, I'd like to 
>> add some thoughts about this issue that may be helpful for those who have 
>> the difficult responsibilities of trying to make decisions about their 
>> dances.
>> 
>> If we are considering ending or changing the covid rules for our dances, 
>> there are some basic things that can underlie our decisions:
>> 
>> * Covid is a respiratory disease. It invades the body through mucous 
>> membranes in the mouth, nose, and sometimes the eyes.
>> * The virus spreads primarily through droplets and aerosols 

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Woody Lane via Organizers]

Hi Everyone,

Seth suggested a 2-day cooling off period before any new posts on this topic. A 
good idea. I am traveling in Australia right now, and between the 200 different 
time zones, the switch to standard time from daylight savings time, and the 
international date line, it's taken me about 2 days to figure out the 2-day 
lag. In any case, hoping enough time has passed, I'd like to add some thoughts 
about this issue that may be helpful for those who have the difficult 
responsibilities of trying to make decisions about their dances.

If we are considering ending or changing the covid rules for our dances, there 
are some basic things that can underlie our decisions:

* Covid is a respiratory disease. It invades the body through mucous membranes 
in the mouth, nose, and sometimes the eyes.
* The virus spreads primarily through droplets and aerosols expelled through 
the mouth and nose. But virus particles can be easily diluted and dispersed by 
wind, including good air movement.
* Contra dancing is an activity where people breathe on each other, interacting 
with many people in a short period of time, over and over again. Sometimes 
breathing hard. Nearly always indoors.
* CDC guidelines are not based on contra dancing. Even in medical facilities, 
patients, doctors, and nurses do not swing each other, breathe into each 
others' faces, and change partners every 35 seconds (at least I hope not). 
Guidelines for medical facilities are not directly relevant to contra dances.
* The current variants of this coronavirus are much more transmissible than the 
earlier variants. Meaning that data from the pre-delta/pre-omicron period may 
be misleading and not properly relevant to today's circumstances.
* Vaccinated people can indeed get infected and sick with covid, but in general 
their transmissible phase (when they can infect others) is a day or so shorter 
and usually contains lower levels of the virus, compared to unvaccinated people.
* The current covid statistics from the CDC and other agencies have some 
serious problems. While the reported rates of deaths and hospitalizations are 
probably accurate, the reported rates of infection (derived from testing) are 
systematically biased low because so many people now test at home without 
officially reporting the results.

So, after three years of not dancing together and/or complying with covid 
restrictions of requiring vaccinations, wearing masks, etc -- well, here are my 
thoughts --

* Masks are still critical in contra dances. The general infection rate is 
higher than officially reported. Especially important for people vulnerable to 
being infected. (This is in the U.S. Other countries with higher vaccination 
rates may have much lower infection rates.). The protection with masks goes 
both ways.

* Vaccinations -- not so much, especially if people wear good masks (N95 or 
equivalent) and the mask requirement is enforced. Also, people who have been 
sick recently with covid are well-protected from having a transmissible virus 
load. (The operative word here is "recently". But the practical question is the 
definition of "recently".)

* Air movement in the room -- this item has not been emphasized enough, 
although it's extremely important. And it's something that dance groups can 
directly improve at their dances. Open windows, multiple fans, etc. Also, dance 
organizers can easily monitor air movement with a carbon dioxide sensor 
(portable sensors are available for less than $100). Place one in a room and 
see what happens during the dance evening. CO2 is heavier than air. People 
breathe out CO2. Therefore, CO2 levels in a room can be a proxy for the risk of 
covid transmission because CO2 levels reflect the amount of air movement. 
Atmospheric CO2 levels are around 413 ppm. If the air doesn't move much, CO2 
levels will quickly rise during a dance evening, sometimes to more than 1,000 
ppm. If the CO2 level can be maintained below 600 ppm, this probably indicates 
that air is circulating relatively efficiently, which reduces the risk of viral 
particle buildup. Keeping the CO2 level near 413 ppm is even better. (It's a 
well-known fact, for example, that exhaled coronaviruses are not very 
transmissible in a 40-mph prevailing wind.)

* Mandatory reporting - need to know if any dancers experience covid symptoms 
or test positive soon after a dance event. Collecting this information is 
awkward and cumbersome, probably pie-in-the-sky, but it would be a good 
statistic. And provide assurance to everyone, especially over time.

Long and complex, but just my two cents.
Woody

Woody Lane
Caller, Percussive Dancer, Event Organizer
Roseburg, OR
___

-Original Message-
From: Lisa Sieverts via Organizers 
Sent: Friday, April 7, 2023 11:34 PM
To: A list for dance organizers 
Subject: [Organizers] Is it time to change our mask mandates?

Hello fellow organizers,

I have been a big proponent of our dance 

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates? -- TIME FOR COOL OFF

[Seth Seeger via Organizers]

Hi everyone,

As moderator, I'm calling for a 2 day cool off period on this thread and other 
covid topics.  It's tricky stuff, with politics and personal feelings all mixed 
up together.  I'm sorry I haven't had time to keep more on top of this thread.

Seth
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Joe Harrington via Organizers]

Dancing in Florida has been complicated by politics.  It is illegal in
Florida for a business, even an unincorporated association or nonprofit, to
require a vaccine, $5000 fine per occurrence, each denied attendee is an
occurrence.

Now:

In Orlando, Florida, given our dancers’ behavior outside of the dance
(barely a mask in view since sometime in late 2021), the number of
anti-vaxxers who attend our public dances, and state law, we have
encouraged, but not required, masks and vaxes since our founding dances in
early 2022.

We have two dance series, one on campus at UCF and one public.  I'm told
that the students are about 90% vaccinated, though we're not allowed to
ask.  The number comes from looking up samples of our students in
FloridaShots, which isn't perfect, because the early FEMA vaccination
centers did not register their shots.  However, those shots are now long in
the past.  I also don't know how old the 90% number is.

Typically, we get around 20 dancers for the public dance and similar for
most of the campus dances, though the campus numbers have fallen as the
semester winds down.  Two students wear a mask at the on-campus dances.
The same two attend the public dances and mask there.  There's typically
about one other mask at the public dance.  We do get a fair number of
senior citizens and they almost never mask.  At both series, everyone signs
the same short, plain-English, three-point waiver.  The first point is
assuming the risks, including explicitly death from disease.

We have occasionally taken stronger measures, but they were not well
received:

We held two open contras in summer 2022.  We strongly encouraged masking at
the June 2022 dance (attendance of 35). Around 10 more attendees chose to
sit out and not dance rather than mask.  It was the first public dance in
the region since the start of the pandemic, so they turned it into a social
event to see their friends. It was also the first gender-free event in the
region, so some may have chosen not to dance for that reason.

We required masks and asked unvaccinated dancers not to come to our July
2022 dance, due to a spike starting.  Attendance dropped to 21 and there
were complaints, both from attendees and non-attendees.

Since then, there have always been a few masks, but not many, see above.

All of this is consistent with what I see at swing and salsa, both of which
attract 50-100+ dancers in the same or similar spaces, are mask-optional,
and have almost no masks.  I know that when we insisted on masks and asked
unvaccinated dancers to stay away, some just went to swing.

It always strikes me just how different the different regions of the US are
on masks and such, and that it carries over to dancing. A friend who lives
in Ithaca, NY, said that she had just gone to the grocery store maskless
for the first time, and was really nervous about it.  She has no particular
risks.  I've barely seen a mask at a Florida grocery in like a year and a
half.  It's remarkable how deeply our perception of safety depends on what
others around us are doing, and how much that depends on community
willingness to sacrifice for others they don't know.  That characteristic
is one of the defining elements of the liberal-conservative spectrum, and
political actors have exploited it mercilessly, on both sides.  Given that
the majority of dances are in the relatively liberal Northeast (check out
https://www.trycontra.com/heatmap-points.html), and tend to be liberal even
compared to those communities, it is perhaps not surprising that the
majority sentiment on this list the last time the question was asked was to
keep masking, even though that is not the majority approach in the dancing
US today, considering all types of dances.

I would set mask policy by 1) what the medical community recommends locally
and 2) what the dance's target audience wants.  As the Flurry organizers
learned, every policy, including no policy, will cause some people to come
and others to stay away.  Deciding means knowing your goals and the
feelings of those you're trying to please, which may vary by category.  New
dancers coming in on their own may look statistically like the population,
while existing ones and maybe their friends may favor masks more, for
reasons such as Julian states, for example.  Any, yes, people say one thing
but actually do another!

In our case, we have so few regulars (maybe 10?) that it's more important
to bring in new dancers than keep every single existing dancer.  If you
have 100 regular dancers who say they strongly favor masks, it may be more
important to keep those than to get new ones, especially new ones with a
different mask tolerance than your existing dancers.  Also, each change
will shake some dancers loose, so be consistent, or at least predictable.

Some dances are experimenting with different rules in separate series,
alternating rules on alternating nights, and masked/mask-optional lines.
I'd be interested to hear how dancers are 

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Tom via Organizers]

Wearing a mask allows us to titrate that risk better. I’m sure that dancing
has saved lives in our communities and that not dancing has negatively
affected our mental and physical health. Will gladly wear a mask for that
benefit.

On Sun, Apr 9, 2023 at 10:26 AM Jon Greene via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Mac,
>
> I guess none of us then should really be contra dancing at all because
> dancing surely creates more transmission risk than not dancing. And for a
> recreational activity that, unlike earning a living, is not even a
> necessity.
>
>- Jon Greene
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Apr 8, 2023, at 5:27 PM, Walker Sloan via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > Becoming infected by Covid today is a lower risk to the individual than
> at the start of the pandemic.
> >
> > However, becoming infected by Covid is also an opportunity for the Covid
> virus to be transmitted to others, and to mutate.
> >
> > R0 is the number of people that an infected individual is likely to
> infect.
> >
> > R0 was 5.4 in Dec 2022.
> >
> > XBB.1.5 is estimated to be 82% of all Covid cases today.
> >
> > 5.4 and 82% are not numbers influenced by communities or individuals
> attitudes towards risk.  Only by community and individual behavior.
> >
> > People who assume increased risk for themselves are also assuming
> increased risk for 5.4 other people.
> >
> > Masks, vaxes, and emails mitigate risks.
> >
> > These data are from an article published by a reputable university
> hospital last month on Mar 17 2023.  Scroll to the last page for R0.
> >
> >
> https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-03/Oregon-Hospital-Forecast-Trends-March17-2023.pdf
> >
> > Mac Sloan
> > ___
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Jon Greene via Organizers]

Mac,

I guess none of us then should really be contra dancing at all because dancing 
surely creates more transmission risk than not dancing. And for a recreational 
activity that, unlike earning a living, is not even a necessity.

   - Jon Greene

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 8, 2023, at 5:27 PM, Walker Sloan via Organizers 
>  wrote:
> 
> 
> Becoming infected by Covid today is a lower risk to the individual than at 
> the start of the pandemic.
> 
> However, becoming infected by Covid is also an opportunity for the Covid 
> virus to be transmitted to others, and to mutate.
> 
> R0 is the number of people that an infected individual is likely to infect.
> 
> R0 was 5.4 in Dec 2022.
> 
> XBB.1.5 is estimated to be 82% of all Covid cases today.
> 
> 5.4 and 82% are not numbers influenced by communities or individuals 
> attitudes towards risk.  Only by community and individual behavior.
> 
> People who assume increased risk for themselves are also assuming increased 
> risk for 5.4 other people.
> 
> Masks, vaxes, and emails mitigate risks.
> 
> These data are from an article published by a reputable university hospital 
> last month on Mar 17 2023.  Scroll to the last page for R0.
> 
> https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-03/Oregon-Hospital-Forecast-Trends-March17-2023.pdf
> 
> Mac Sloan
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Jeff Kaufman via Organizers]

Hi Mac,

There are a few different issues with how you're interpreting those R0
numbers.  The big one is that R0, the basic reproduction number
, assumes an
entirely "susceptible" population.  That is, a population in which no one
has any immunity, due to prior infection or vaccination.  So your link is
saying that if XBB.1.5 had suddenly appeared in 2019 each infected person
would, on average, infect 5.4 other people.  You're treating it as if it
was Rt, the effective reproduction number
,
but that's much lower, about 1 .

Even then, you can't interpret Rt as how many other people you getting
infected is likely to cause, even ignoring ways in which you're not
average: the number of counterfactual infections can be much higher or
lower:

* In the early days of an epidemic that still has a good chance of
successful suppression, the expected number of infections caused by a
marginal case can be *far* larger than Rt.  Each additional case makes it
harder to suppress, and increases the chance that it spreads globally.

* In a case where suppression is unlikely, the expected number of
infections caused by a marginal case is lower than Rt. Each person you
infect had some chance of otherwise being infected by someone else instead.

Jeff



On Sat, Apr 8, 2023 at 5:26 PM Walker Sloan via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

>
> Becoming infected by Covid today is a lower risk to the individual than
> at the start of the pandemic.
>
> However, becoming infected by Covid is also an opportunity for the Covid
> virus to be transmitted to others, and to mutate.
>
> R0 is the number of people that an infected individual is likely to infect.
>
> R0 was 5.4 in Dec 2022.
>
> XBB.1.5 is estimated to be 82% of all Covid cases today.
>
> 5.4 and 82% are not numbers influenced by communities or individuals
> attitudes towards risk.  Only by community and individual behavior.
>
> People who assume increased risk for themselves are also assuming
> increased risk for 5.4 other people.
>
> Masks, vaxes, and emails mitigate risks.
>
> These data are from an article published by a reputable university
> hospital last month on Mar 17 2023.  Scroll to the last page for R0.
>
>
> https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-03/Oregon-Hospital-Forecast-Trends-March17-2023.pdf
>
> Mac Sloan
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Tom via Organizers]

Thank you Mac - If one infected person will infect 5 more we are no
where near going maskless.  The risk of wearing masks is so much less than
the risk of going maskless.  I've been wearing the 3M VFLEX mask and it has
the highest and easiest flow thru of any tried so far.  A great seal and
only $0.75 a pop!  Best N95 mask around.  I worry about any medical advice
coming out of NH the state that banned any masking or vaccination
requirements in public buildings.  Ableist to the Nth degree.  Tom Prunier

On Sat, Apr 8, 2023 at 5:27 PM Walker Sloan via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

>
> Becoming infected by Covid today is a lower risk to the individual than
> at the start of the pandemic.
>
> However, becoming infected by Covid is also an opportunity for the Covid
> virus to be transmitted to others, and to mutate.
>
> R0 is the number of people that an infected individual is likely to infect.
>
> R0 was 5.4 in Dec 2022.
>
> XBB.1.5 is estimated to be 82% of all Covid cases today.
>
> 5.4 and 82% are not numbers influenced by communities or individuals
> attitudes towards risk.  Only by community and individual behavior.
>
> People who assume increased risk for themselves are also assuming
> increased risk for 5.4 other people.
>
> Masks, vaxes, and emails mitigate risks.
>
> These data are from an article published by a reputable university
> hospital last month on Mar 17 2023.  Scroll to the last page for R0.
>
>
> https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-03/Oregon-Hospital-Forecast-Trends-March17-2023.pdf
>
> Mac Sloan
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Walker Sloan via Organizers]

Becoming infected by Covid today is a lower risk to the individual than 
at the start of the pandemic.


However, becoming infected by Covid is also an opportunity for the Covid 
virus to be transmitted to others, and to mutate.


R0 is the number of people that an infected individual is likely to infect.

R0 was 5.4 in Dec 2022.

XBB.1.5 is estimated to be 82% of all Covid cases today.

5.4 and 82% are not numbers influenced by communities or individuals 
attitudes towards risk.  Only by community and individual behavior.


People who assume increased risk for themselves are also assuming 
increased risk for 5.4 other people.


Masks, vaxes, and emails mitigate risks.

These data are from an article published by a reputable university 
hospital last month on Mar 17 2023.  Scroll to the last page for R0.


https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-03/Oregon-Hospital-Forecast-Trends-March17-2023.pdf

Mac Sloan
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Chrissy Fowler via Organizers]

Responding to Lisa’s question for data on other dance organizer experiences 
relative to policies about masks:

See https://www.belfastflyingshoes.org for info on our programs, policies, etc.

Our series resumed dancing outdoors in July-Oct 2022. When our monthly two-part 
public dance series moved indoors in November 2023, the Belfast Flying Shoes 
board of directors unanimously approved a community care policy that was in 
line with our local circumstances. (The BFS board makes decisions by consensus. 
For the BFS Board this means coming to unanimous agreement after robust 
discussion, including respectfully sharing divergent perspectives.)

The board and I (as executive director of the nonprofit) took many things into 
consideration. These included, but weren't limited to: local health metrics, 
the nonprofit's values, feedback from our constituents, our individual values, 
and a variety of underlying philosophical questions (many of which Harris L 
articulated on this list in January. I’ve copied Harris's post below.)  Our 
consensus-based decision-making considered the three aspects that Harris 
suggested: "We need science *and* community input *and* organizer judgment to 
guide decisions."

Among other things, that BFS policy required contact info and encouraged masks, 
which we offer free of charge.  The current policy no longer requires contact 
info, but it’s still optional to get an update if anyone reports experiencing 
illness and we still offer masks.

In Maine, policies differ. And at least one series was started because the 
people who organized it wanted particular policies. I think this speaks to an 
important truth in our current moment -- there's always room for other dances 
that meet certain needs!

Cheers,
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast Flying Shoes (Belfast ME)
<><><><><><>
belfastflyingshoes.org participatory dance & 
music

Harris Lapiroff, from SW Organizers archive, January 2023:
I feel that we need science *and* community input to make good decisions as 
organizers. I don't think either is sufficient alone. Plagiarizing a comment 
from myself in a previous conversation about covid precautions that took place 
on Facebook: I think people who have been following the science and even agree 
on the science might make different decisions about what precautions are 
valuable based on factors that science hasn't yet or may never provide clarity 
on. Some of them are scientific questions and some of them are not. And some of 
them are questions that can *only* be answered by our community! Questions 
like:- What is the exact nature and prevalence of long covid?- How do 
the risks of covid compare to risks we took in a prepandemicworld?- How 
does our community value risk for pleasure?- Will things get less risky in 
the future?- How long is our community willing to wear masks while dancing? 
A year?Two years? Forever?- Does our community care if we exclude 
people who can't or won't getvaccinated?- Etc. I think people can agree 
on the (mostly) settled science—how covid is transmitted, how well masks and 
vaccines work, what the possible outcomes of a covid infection are, who is most 
at risk—and still have very different answers to these questions, many of which 
are pretty reasonable. We need science *and* community input *and* organizer 
judgment to guide decisions. Harris




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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Jeff Kaufman via Organizers]

Hi Julian,

I linked my sources in my email: for hospitalizations I used the NYT
 and for
deaths I used the CDC

and MA DPH .
Your screenshot from CovidActNow showing MA hospitalizations are a bit
above where they were a year ago isn't different from what I was saying?
You had said that hospitalizations and deaths were "well above" where they
were a year ago, but neither are.  Over that time period deaths aren't up
at all (down instead) and hospitalizations are only slightly higher.

Jeff

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 10:35 AM Julian Blechner 
wrote:

> I have a reply pending - I embedded an image I took from CovidActNow, but
> the short answer is:
> While it varies from area to area, I'm using CovidActNow for the basis of
> saying that deaths and hospitalizations are well above what they were a
> year ago.
>
> Yes, we're on a downwards trend, but we were also on a downwards trend at
> this time last year, and then things went way back up.
>
> This is why I continue to advocate for organizers to set policies that are
> based on hospitalizations and deaths, so that it's unambiguous when masking
> is safer to lighten up on, and when it may need to be reinstated (such as
> with a Winter surge or a new strain, etc)
>
> Best regards,
> Julian
>
> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 10:16 AM Jeff Kaufman 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Julian,
>>
>> You wrote "Hospitalizations and deaths for covid are still well above
>> what they were a year ago" but this looks wrong to me, both for MA and
>> nationwide?  Nationally
>> ,
>> hospitalizations are at 1.9/100k compared to 2/100k this time in 2022, and
>> in MA
>> 
>> it's 2/100k vs 1.5/100k.  For deaths, nationally
>> 
>> we're averaging 1,773/wk vs 3,709/wk a year ago, and MA
>>  is
>> averaging 3.6/d compared to 5.4/d a year ago.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:57 AM Julian Blechner via Organizers <
>> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>
>>> All of my immune-compromised friends are still masking and still not
>>> able to enjoy the things so many people are taking for granted.
>>> Hospitalizations and deaths for covid are still well above what they
>>> were a year ago.
>>> Reported cases are down, but positive test % is still very high -
>>> indicating a high number of cases out there that we don't see. This means
>>> vaccines are working to keep cases more mild, but that covid is still
>>> rampant out there.
>>>
>>> Contra continues to be an epidemiologist's nightmare activity, even
>>> worse that casual hospital contact:
>>> heavy breathing, mingling with dozens of other people at close quarters,
>>> being face-to-face with them.
>>>
>>> What I'd like to see is more organizers set policies that are connected
>>> to hospitalizations and deaths, setting standards based on numbers and
>>> sticking to them.
>>>
>>> Julian Blechner
>>> speaking for myself
>>> committee member, Downtown Amherst Contra
>>> + caller
>>>
>>> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:52 AM Brooke Friendly via Organizers <
>>> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>
 Mask mandates for medical facilities were lifted in Oregon in March.
 Brooke Friendly

 On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 6:35 AM Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <
 organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hello fellow organizers,
>
> I have been a big proponent of our dance mask mandates and feel we
> have prevented quite a bit of COVID spread by requiring good facemasks.
>
> However, our local hospital has announced that after 3 years of a mask
> mandate for everyone entering their building (it’s both a hospital and a
> medical center), they are lifting the mandate on April 10 for anyone
> asymptomatic and who hasn’t had a recent COVID contact.
>
> Our board will be discussing this soon but I am very curious about
> what other organizers think. Is it time? And what should be our criteria
> for lifting our mandates?
>
> Best,
> Lisa
> Monadnock Folklore Society
> Nelson, NH
>
> Lisa Sieverts
> 603-762-0235
> l...@lisasieverts.com
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>>> ___

[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Julian Blechner via Organizers]

I have a reply pending - I embedded an image I took from CovidActNow, but
the short answer is:
While it varies from area to area, I'm using CovidActNow for the basis of
saying that deaths and hospitalizations are well above what they were a
year ago.

Yes, we're on a downwards trend, but we were also on a downwards trend at
this time last year, and then things went way back up.

This is why I continue to advocate for organizers to set policies that are
based on hospitalizations and deaths, so that it's unambiguous when masking
is safer to lighten up on, and when it may need to be reinstated (such as
with a Winter surge or a new strain, etc)

Best regards,
Julian

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 10:16 AM Jeff Kaufman 
wrote:

> Hi Julian,
>
> You wrote "Hospitalizations and deaths for covid are still well above what
> they were a year ago" but this looks wrong to me, both for MA and
> nationwide?  Nationally
> ,
> hospitalizations are at 1.9/100k compared to 2/100k this time in 2022, and
> in MA
> 
> it's 2/100k vs 1.5/100k.  For deaths, nationally
> 
> we're averaging 1,773/wk vs 3,709/wk a year ago, and MA
>  is
> averaging 3.6/d compared to 5.4/d a year ago.
>
> Jeff
>
> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:57 AM Julian Blechner via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> All of my immune-compromised friends are still masking and still not able
>> to enjoy the things so many people are taking for granted.
>> Hospitalizations and deaths for covid are still well above what they were
>> a year ago.
>> Reported cases are down, but positive test % is still very high -
>> indicating a high number of cases out there that we don't see. This means
>> vaccines are working to keep cases more mild, but that covid is still
>> rampant out there.
>>
>> Contra continues to be an epidemiologist's nightmare activity, even worse
>> that casual hospital contact:
>> heavy breathing, mingling with dozens of other people at close quarters,
>> being face-to-face with them.
>>
>> What I'd like to see is more organizers set policies that are connected
>> to hospitalizations and deaths, setting standards based on numbers and
>> sticking to them.
>>
>> Julian Blechner
>> speaking for myself
>> committee member, Downtown Amherst Contra
>> + caller
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:52 AM Brooke Friendly via Organizers <
>> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Mask mandates for medical facilities were lifted in Oregon in March.
>>> Brooke Friendly
>>>
>>> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 6:35 AM Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <
>>> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>
 Hello fellow organizers,

 I have been a big proponent of our dance mask mandates and feel we have
 prevented quite a bit of COVID spread by requiring good facemasks.

 However, our local hospital has announced that after 3 years of a mask
 mandate for everyone entering their building (it’s both a hospital and a
 medical center), they are lifting the mandate on April 10 for anyone
 asymptomatic and who hasn’t had a recent COVID contact.

 Our board will be discussing this soon but I am very curious about what
 other organizers think. Is it time? And what should be our criteria for
 lifting our mandates?

 Best,
 Lisa
 Monadnock Folklore Society
 Nelson, NH

 Lisa Sieverts
 603-762-0235
 l...@lisasieverts.com
 ___
 Organizers mailing list -- organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[lsturgen--- via Organizers]

Yikes, masks forbidden?! That sounds pretty extreme.Most dances in western Mass 
are still requiring masks and vaccinations, which I fully support. Without 
those precautions I, and many others, would not feel able to attend.Liz Sturgen 
Easthampton, MA

Sent from AOL on Android 
 
  On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:52 AM, Rich Dempsey via 
Organizers wrote:   
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Jeff Kaufman via Organizers]

Hi Julian,

You wrote "Hospitalizations and deaths for covid are still well above what
they were a year ago" but this looks wrong to me, both for MA and
nationwide?  Nationally
,
hospitalizations are at 1.9/100k compared to 2/100k this time in 2022, and
in MA

it's 2/100k vs 1.5/100k.  For deaths, nationally

we're averaging 1,773/wk vs 3,709/wk a year ago, and MA
 is
averaging 3.6/d compared to 5.4/d a year ago.

Jeff

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:57 AM Julian Blechner via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> All of my immune-compromised friends are still masking and still not able
> to enjoy the things so many people are taking for granted.
> Hospitalizations and deaths for covid are still well above what they were
> a year ago.
> Reported cases are down, but positive test % is still very high -
> indicating a high number of cases out there that we don't see. This means
> vaccines are working to keep cases more mild, but that covid is still
> rampant out there.
>
> Contra continues to be an epidemiologist's nightmare activity, even worse
> that casual hospital contact:
> heavy breathing, mingling with dozens of other people at close quarters,
> being face-to-face with them.
>
> What I'd like to see is more organizers set policies that are connected to
> hospitalizations and deaths, setting standards based on numbers and
> sticking to them.
>
> Julian Blechner
> speaking for myself
> committee member, Downtown Amherst Contra
> + caller
>
> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:52 AM Brooke Friendly via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Mask mandates for medical facilities were lifted in Oregon in March.
>> Brooke Friendly
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 6:35 AM Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <
>> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello fellow organizers,
>>>
>>> I have been a big proponent of our dance mask mandates and feel we have
>>> prevented quite a bit of COVID spread by requiring good facemasks.
>>>
>>> However, our local hospital has announced that after 3 years of a mask
>>> mandate for everyone entering their building (it’s both a hospital and a
>>> medical center), they are lifting the mandate on April 10 for anyone
>>> asymptomatic and who hasn’t had a recent COVID contact.
>>>
>>> Our board will be discussing this soon but I am very curious about what
>>> other organizers think. Is it time? And what should be our criteria for
>>> lifting our mandates?
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Lisa
>>> Monadnock Folklore Society
>>> Nelson, NH
>>>
>>> Lisa Sieverts
>>> 603-762-0235
>>> l...@lisasieverts.com
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Julian Blechner via Organizers]

All of my immune-compromised friends are still masking and still not able
to enjoy the things so many people are taking for granted.
Hospitalizations and deaths for covid are still well above what they were a
year ago.
Reported cases are down, but positive test % is still very high -
indicating a high number of cases out there that we don't see. This means
vaccines are working to keep cases more mild, but that covid is still
rampant out there.

Contra continues to be an epidemiologist's nightmare activity, even worse
that casual hospital contact:
heavy breathing, mingling with dozens of other people at close quarters,
being face-to-face with them.

What I'd like to see is more organizers set policies that are connected to
hospitalizations and deaths, setting standards based on numbers and
sticking to them.

Julian Blechner
speaking for myself
committee member, Downtown Amherst Contra
+ caller

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:52 AM Brooke Friendly via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Mask mandates for medical facilities were lifted in Oregon in March.
> Brooke Friendly
>
> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 6:35 AM Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Hello fellow organizers,
>>
>> I have been a big proponent of our dance mask mandates and feel we have
>> prevented quite a bit of COVID spread by requiring good facemasks.
>>
>> However, our local hospital has announced that after 3 years of a mask
>> mandate for everyone entering their building (it’s both a hospital and a
>> medical center), they are lifting the mandate on April 10 for anyone
>> asymptomatic and who hasn’t had a recent COVID contact.
>>
>> Our board will be discussing this soon but I am very curious about what
>> other organizers think. Is it time? And what should be our criteria for
>> lifting our mandates?
>>
>> Best,
>> Lisa
>> Monadnock Folklore Society
>> Nelson, NH
>>
>> Lisa Sieverts
>> 603-762-0235
>> l...@lisasieverts.com
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Rich Dempsey via Organizers]

Oh, I forgot to add that for our annual Jane Austen Ball in May, we
chose to require masks and proof of vaccination for the event because it
attracts dancers from a larger geographic area. Covid incidence is expected
to be uneven across the region. This was set in January and is unlikely to
change because of the long lead time for making plans for both attendees
and organizers.

Rich

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:52 AM Rich Dempsey  wrote:

> In Rochester, NY, we have two dance series, in separate venues, so
> policies are slightly different between the two series. In addition, we
> conducted a survey of our dancers in February
>  about factors that affect
> their willingness to attend a dance.
>
> For the weekly English country dance series, we must follow the policy of
> the venue since we dance in a space that is used by children in other parts
> of the week. The policy requires all dancers to show proof of vaccination
> with a booster. We only require this for the first dance they attend; for
> convenience, we record that they showed proof. Masking is required when the
> CDC Community Level is yellow or red. Masking is optional when the CDC
> Community Level is green (which happened just this past week).
>
> For the weekly contra dance series, the venue has no policy on covid
> mitigation. In the survey, dancers were evenly divided between those
> wanting masking and those who don't. Support for vaccination was strong.
> Accordingly, we have this month instituted a test period, length TBD, where
> masks are required on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thursdays of the month and
> masks are optional on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays. Proof of vaccination is
> still required. We are tracking attendance to see how it changes.
>
> Early this year, we learned that another group started a contra series in
> Rochester where masks are forbidden. I hear rumors of other aspects of
> their policy but I prefer not to say more without confirmation.
>
> Rich Dempsey
> Webmaster, Country Dancers of Rochester, NY
> www.cdrochester.org
>
> On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:34 AM Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Hello fellow organizers,
>>
>> I have been a big proponent of our dance mask mandates and feel we have
>> prevented quite a bit of COVID spread by requiring good facemasks.
>>
>> However, our local hospital has announced that after 3 years of a mask
>> mandate for everyone entering their building (it’s both a hospital and a
>> medical center), they are lifting the mandate on April 10 for anyone
>> asymptomatic and who hasn’t had a recent COVID contact.
>>
>> Our board will be discussing this soon but I am very curious about what
>> other organizers think. Is it time? And what should be our criteria for
>> lifting our mandates?
>>
>> Best,
>> Lisa
>> Monadnock Folklore Society
>> Nelson, NH
>>
>> Lisa Sieverts
>> 603-762-0235
>> l...@lisasieverts.com
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Rich Dempsey via Organizers]

In Rochester, NY, we have two dance series, in separate venues, so policies
are slightly different between the two series. In addition, we
conducted a survey
of our dancers in February
 about
factors that affect their willingness to attend a dance.

For the weekly English country dance series, we must follow the policy of
the venue since we dance in a space that is used by children in other parts
of the week. The policy requires all dancers to show proof of vaccination
with a booster. We only require this for the first dance they attend; for
convenience, we record that they showed proof. Masking is required when the
CDC Community Level is yellow or red. Masking is optional when the CDC
Community Level is green (which happened just this past week).

For the weekly contra dance series, the venue has no policy on covid
mitigation. In the survey, dancers were evenly divided between those
wanting masking and those who don't. Support for vaccination was strong.
Accordingly, we have this month instituted a test period, length TBD, where
masks are required on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thursdays of the month and
masks are optional on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays. Proof of vaccination is
still required. We are tracking attendance to see how it changes.

Early this year, we learned that another group started a contra series in
Rochester where masks are forbidden. I hear rumors of other aspects of
their policy but I prefer not to say more without confirmation.

Rich Dempsey
Webmaster, Country Dancers of Rochester, NY
www.cdrochester.org

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 9:34 AM Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hello fellow organizers,
>
> I have been a big proponent of our dance mask mandates and feel we have
> prevented quite a bit of COVID spread by requiring good facemasks.
>
> However, our local hospital has announced that after 3 years of a mask
> mandate for everyone entering their building (it’s both a hospital and a
> medical center), they are lifting the mandate on April 10 for anyone
> asymptomatic and who hasn’t had a recent COVID contact.
>
> Our board will be discussing this soon but I am very curious about what
> other organizers think. Is it time? And what should be our criteria for
> lifting our mandates?
>
> Best,
> Lisa
> Monadnock Folklore Society
> Nelson, NH
>
> Lisa Sieverts
> 603-762-0235
> l...@lisasieverts.com
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[Organizers] Re: Is it time to change our mask mandates?

[Brooke Friendly via Organizers]

Mask mandates for medical facilities were lifted in Oregon in March.
Brooke Friendly

On Fri, Apr 7, 2023 at 6:35 AM Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hello fellow organizers,
>
> I have been a big proponent of our dance mask mandates and feel we have
> prevented quite a bit of COVID spread by requiring good facemasks.
>
> However, our local hospital has announced that after 3 years of a mask
> mandate for everyone entering their building (it’s both a hospital and a
> medical center), they are lifting the mandate on April 10 for anyone
> asymptomatic and who hasn’t had a recent COVID contact.
>
> Our board will be discussing this soon but I am very curious about what
> other organizers think. Is it time? And what should be our criteria for
> lifting our mandates?
>
> Best,
> Lisa
> Monadnock Folklore Society
> Nelson, NH
>
> Lisa Sieverts
> 603-762-0235
> l...@lisasieverts.com
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> To unsubscribe send an email to organizers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net
>
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