Category: COVID

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COVID eksenannounce From the EK Seneschal News

Society Stance on COVID Variances

Greetings to the Tyger Populace,

I have returned from Birka and was pleased to see the atmosphere there was one of joy, camaraderie, and courtesy for each other. Whether masked or not, I witnessed the populace being respectful of each other and of the volunteers and staff running the event. Thank you to everyone who made the return to Birka a wonderful experience.

It is time to look forward to what is next for the Kingdom. As I started to research and plan strategy meetings for the East’s Spring COVID Policy, news from the Society arrived.


I received word from the Society Seneschal last night that our existing masking variance (expiring on March 1, 2023) will not be extended. Nor will any additional variances be granted relating to COVID/masking precautions. It is the opinion of the Society Seneschal and the Society President that it is time to leave such decisions to state and local authorities. This applies to all Kingdoms. 

As this decision is being made at the Society level, I have no authority to override or change part of the updated policy. 


Effective March 1, 2023, the Kingdom COVID Variance will expire, and masking will not be required at any event, practice, or official gathering. As always, local legal jurisdiction comes first; if local authorities or site owners require masking of attendees, then all SCA attendees must wear masks. 

I share this information now, as I realize it may affect plans for coming events and wanted everyone to have as much time as possible to process and make decisions. 

How can we, as a populace, help to protect each other? 

  1. Absolutely do not attend an event / practice / gathering if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness. This is vital. Prior to the start of the pandemic, we had a culture of “can’t miss seeing person X, award X, or activity X.” I am asking that we actively change that culture going forward. With photographers being more prevalent, and videographers around, we can live vicariously through photos and videos of moments that are important. Is it the best? No, of course not. Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely.
  2. When available, please consider taking a rapid test prior to attending an event. While this isn’t a failsafe, it can help recognize when you are positive and asymptomatic. 
  3. Consider getting your vaccinations if you are able to do so. Get your boosters. Protect yourself. Help protect those around you.
  4. If event budgets allow, or group funds permit, consider renting or building air purifiers for small spaces to help filter air. Sample instructions for DIY Cori-Rosenthal Filters can be found here: https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters/ though the internet has all kinds of resources. 

But Audrye, what about masks?

Per Society, we cannot require masking of any kind beginning March 1, 2023 unless the local authorities (or site location) require it. With that in mind, the Kingdom will continue to provide masks for events on the EK Calendar for the Stewards / Seneschals who request them for the immediate future. (Please use the form located here: https://forms.gle/pHDxa82t5miozKQ36 ) 

As you begin working through bids for your local (or Kingdom) events, please begin adding in expenses for masks should your local group desire that. I recommend providing KN95 masks for events and making them available for those who wish to use them. If you are having trouble obtaining KN95s, please let me know and we’ll figure it out.

All events taking place in a local jurisdiction or at a site that requires masks must make sure the event listing and other communication state this clearly. Bids for Kingdom events and RPs must make this clear in the bid package.

The Kingdom will stop paying for masks directly at a later date once it has been discussed internally, and give ample notification of the date so groups are able to prepare. 

I want to personally thank everyone for their continued courtesy to each other. I recognize that the pandemic is not over, and COVID is here to stay. Finding balance in a Kingdom spanning over 2 million square miles and approximately 3000 paid members (as of December 2022) is delicate at best. Let’s work together to provide spaces which welcome all. 

In Service,
Magistra Audrye Beneyt
East Kingdom Seneschal

**Should you have questions or concerns regarding the Society’s Decision, please reach out to appropriately to sca-comments@sca.org as this was not a decision made by the East Kingdom.**

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COVID eksenannounce From the EK Seneschal News

Kingdom COVID19 Response

Greetings, Tyger Populace, 

I want to apologize again to the populace.  I am sorry that the decisions I made caused upset. I hope that the coming information will help to begin to mend your faith in me and that we can all step together to find a middle ground. 

To that end, I would like to share the Kingdom’s current response to COVID with you. I would ask that you please read all the way through, then re-read, as there will be a lot of information here, and there is no good way for me to break it up. I have provided a Highlights section here, so you know what to expect.

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New Kingdom-Wide Variance

A Kingdom-wide variance has been approved by the Society Seneschal to go into effect immediately and will end on March 1, 2023.  It is as follows:

Indoor Masking for all persons age 2 and over will be required at all official SCA Activities (events, practices, meetings, etc.) in the United States portion of the East Kingdom, under the following condition: 

When the county where the activity is located reaches a status of HIGH on the CDC Community Levels map found here: 

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=CommunityLevels&null=CommunityLevels

This is determined by the data on the Thursday just prior to the activity. 

If state or local regulations are more restrictive, those measures are to be followed.

For the Canadian provinces in Tir Mara, provincial and local guidance will be followed.

This variance is in effect immediately and will end on March 1, 2023.  

Examples:

An official practice will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 in Springfield, MA.  If, on the Thursday prior, December 29, 2022, the Community Level in Hampden County, MA is listed as HIGH according to the map above, then masks will be required at the practice on January 3, 2023.  

An event will be held in Bangor, ME on Saturday, January 21, 2023.  On the Thursday prior, January 19, 2023, the Community Level in Penobscot County, ME is listed as LOW according to the map above. As such, masks will not be required. 

An event will be held in Montreal, Quebec on Saturday, February 4, 2023.  On January 12, 2023, the local government issued a mask mandate requiring indoor masking due to an increase in cases.  Masks will be required at the event on February 4, 2023.

(Variance wording stand-alone found here: https://seneschal.eastkingdom.org/new-kingdom-wide-variance-effective-11-11-2022/) 

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As the Kingdom has followed the CDC guidance from the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to do so.

The CDC has recommended the use of the Community Levels map to determine action as it addresses the impact of COVID19 on communities.  The chart below is taken directly from the CDC website and shows how the Community Levels are calculated.

(Chart pulled from CDC website on 11/10/2022)

The CDC has recommendations based on these levels, and they can be located here: 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

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Status of Variances

  • There are a few variances I approved for local practices and gatherings through November 30, 2022. Those will remain in effect through November 30, 2022 and then be replaced by the above Kingdom-wide variance. 

  • There are a couple of variances I denied, based on the above CDC map at the time of decision. As the Kingdom-wide Variance is in effect immediately, should the county in question fall into the HIGH category on the Thursday prior, then masks will be required at the event. 

As an example, this weekend is St. Eligius in New Haven, CT.  New Haven is in New Haven County.  

New Haven County’s current Community Level is MEDIUM.  As such, masks will not be required at the event. 

  • There are a few variances which are still “in the wings” so-to-speak.  No decision has been made on them as of yet. I will be formally denying those variances in favor of the Kingdom-wide Variance, as all of those requests have come in for after December 1, 2022. I will be sending those notifications out after this has been posted. 

— 

Requesting New Variances

Should you wish to request a variance to alter the Kingdom-wide variance (or any variance for that matter), there are a few steps which must be taken.  

  1. The request must come from the branch Seneschal. And specifically, must come from the seneschal@GROUPNAME.eastkingdom.org email address.
  2. It must be specific in nature and have a metric and/or reasons for an alteration. 
  3. Confirmation that the request has been received will be made in 48 hours and provide a decision timeline.
  4. If I agree with the variance request, I will send it to the Society Seneschal for review.  
  5. If I do not agree with the variance request, I will notify the branch Seneschal. 
  6. Should you wish to appeal my decision, the branch Seneschal would then email the Society Seneschal to request review. 

If you would like to have a conversation with me regarding this process, or have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

—

Personal Responsibility and Illness

I want to stress the importance of taking care of yourself, your health (mental and physical), and those of your loved ones. 

If you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, regardless if they are COVID-related or not, please do not attend the event/practice/gathering. If you are playing the “allergies or cold” game, please assume cold and do not attend the event. 

If you test positive for COVID, please do not attend any event/gathering for 10 days, or when you have had 2 negative home tests 48 hours apart. The Kingdom has to rely on your honor for this, as we will not be allowed to ask for proof. Please choose to do the right thing. 

In addition, all members of the populace should be prepared to mask at events and gatherings. 

—

Masking and Distancing

With all that said, I recognize there is always more we can do to protect each other while also respecting each other. 

To this end, I ask that the people of the East begin to reframe how they interact with each other. Do not assume close contact is acceptable for everyone. Please ask before entering someone’s personal space. Remember just because you have received permission once, does not mean you always have permission. Similarly, if you are asked to mask when approaching someone, please do so. Consent is absolutely vital in our Society, and we should be making every effort to allow people that right. 

I strongly encourage people to mask when possible, with the best masks they have access to. The CDC, along with other sources, advise the best masks available are N95s or KN95s.

As such, with the support of the Crown and Heirs, I will make N95/KN95 masks available for any event attendees between this announcement and the end of the variance, March 1, 2023.

Masks will be available for any event that has a listing on the East Kingdom Event Calendar and will be shipped directly to someone who will be attending. 

To request masks for your event, the event steward just needs to complete the form linked here: https://forms.gle/8WoRJq2GUHHsetAk9

(If there is a problem with the form, please email me as soon as you are able, and I’ll get it fixed!) 

I have had several people ask if they can put verbiage out recommending masking at events. The short answer to that is “Absolutely!” I encourage groups to continue to promote masking.  This can include signs at events, language in event listings, and setting an example by wearing them. 

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Commitment to Vigilance

I will be routinely checking the CDC website and keeping an eye on the state of the Kingdom and the COVID levels. Should things in the Kingdom change, I will review our next steps appropriately and act with the best interest of the Kingdom as a whole. 

I will be reviewing the existing variance in mid February 2023.

—

I hope you were able to get through all of that, and thank you for sticking with me. I am thankful for each and every voice in our Kingdom, and hope with the above measures in place we are able to come together again and enjoy our hobby. 

In Service,

Magistra Audrye Beneyt 
East Kingdom Seneschal

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COVID eksenannounce From the EK Seneschal News

New Kingdom-wide Variance Effective 11/11/2022

The following variance has been approved by the Society Seneschal, to go in to effect immediately: 

Indoor Masking for all persons age 2 and over will be required at all official SCA Activities (events, practices, meetings, etc) in the United States portion of the East Kingdom, under the following condition: 

When the county where the activity is located reaches a status of HIGH on the CDC Community Levels map found here: 

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=CommunityLevels&null=CommunityLevels

This is determined by the data on the Thursday just prior to the activity. 

If state or local regulations are more restrictive, those measures are to be followed.

For the Canadian provinces in Tir Mara, provincial and local guidance will be followed.

This variance is in effect immediately and will end on March 1, 2023.  

Examples:

An official practice will be held on January 3, 2023 in Springfield, MA.  If, on the Thursday prior, December 29, 2022, the Community Level in Hampden County, MA is listed as HIGH according to the map above, then masks will be required at the practice on January 3, 2023.  

An event will be held in Bangor, ME on January 21, 2023.  On the Thursday prior, January 19, 2023, the Community Level in Penobscot County, ME is listed as LOW according to the map above. As such, masks will not be required. 

An event will be held in Montreal, Quebec on February 4, 2023.  On January 12, 2023, the local government issued a mask mandate requiring indoor masking due to an increase in cases.  Masks will be required at the event on February 4, 2023.

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COVID News

September 14, 2022 — UPDATE: COVIDSafe and Masking Policies

Good morning Tyger Populace,

Their Majesties, Their Highnesses and I have heard much from the populace regarding the change to the COVIDSafe and Masking policies in the Kingdom.

Several have asked who was consulted regarding possible changes to policy, and I can confirm that I directly reached out to all local seneschals approximately a month ago for feedback regarding the masking policies. In addition, we have heard privately from many of the populace who wish to see the masking policies reduced to be brought in line with state and local guidance, but are afraid to speak out publicly.

With that said, given the resolution from the Board of Directors, we still believe prolonging the decision to remove the restrictions is not in the best interest of the Kingdom as a whole. However, we regret that we did not acknowledge the need for socializing the change and the travel plans for many of our populace for the upcoming weekend when making our initial decision. As a result, the following adjustment has been made:

The COVIDSafe Policy and all Masking Policy restrictions will be dropped effective October 1, 2022.

The seneschal of your local group can reach out to me directly to request a variance for an event or official gathering/practice on masking policies only. The COVIDSafe policy cannot be adjusted on an event by event basis.

After December 1, 2022, all variances requested will have to be passed through the Society Seneschal.

Again, we thank you for your candid conversations regarding the policy changes and know that adjustment is always hard for everyone involved. Please remember courtesy and kindness when interacting with others.

In Service,
Magistra Audrye Beneyt
East Kingdom Seneschal

Ryouko-jin & Indrakshi
King and Queen of the East Kingdom

Mohammad & Corotica
Prince and Princess of the East Kingdom

French Translation Forthcoming

Please see original announcement here.

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COVID

East Kingdom Event Workflow – Requiring Proof of Vaccination/Negative COVID Test

This East Kingdom Event Workflow is to assist branches in implementing the September 27, 2021 announcement from the Board of Directors, which allows Kingdoms to decide whether to implement a policy requiring all in-person event attendees to show proof either of full vaccination or a medically-supervised negative COVID test administered within 72 hours of the event. This policy will go into effect in the East Kingdom on October 12, 2021.

A. Read the policy announced by the Board of Directors on Sept 27, 2021: (click here)

B. Read the Society-written FAQ, which is being updated regularly: (click here)

C. Federal/provincial/state/local law always applies before Society policy. Tir Marans in Nova Scotia and PEI, for example, must be fully vaccinated to attend certain types of gatherings per gov’t policy; there is no alternative to show a negative COVID test result.


Workflow for checking proof of vaccination/negative COVID tests

0. Scope out your space and funnel attendees through as few entry points as possible. If you are in a public park, maybe do this with orange traffic cones and rope or make clear in publicizing the event that folks need to check in at the big maple tree before entering the event space — whatever makes the most sense for monitoring the flow of people into your space.

  • Events may have multiple gates, but someone must check vaccination/negative COVID test results at EACH gate.
  • Multiple people can check vaccination/negative COVID test results at each gate, but all who do must sign the statement required by the Board.
  • Anyone who checks vaccination/negative COVID tests must be at least 18 years old. Minors may NOT serve in this role.

1. For larger events, all event staff should show their proof of vaccination/negative COVID test  before gate opens to the rest of your attendees. If event staff arrive after gate opens, they’ll follow the same procedure as other attendees.

2. Anyone checking proof of vaccination/negative COVID test results should be stationed before the gate table/clipboard. Check vaccination/negative COVID test results, then check in to the event.

  • Smaller in-person gatherings like practices and meetings can have one person oversee all aspects of gate: vaccination/negative COVID test results, regular check-in with blue-card or signing the waiver, and contact tracing information.
  • Checking vaccination/negative COVID test results is a visual process only. Do not record that you have checked someone in any way, including a mark beside their name on the gate check-in sheet.
  • Do not combine forms — contact tracing information needs to be kept separate from the Board-required statement.
  • Pre-registration CANNOT include proof of vaccination/negative COVID test. This MUST be checked in person on the day of the event.


3. Someone else should cross-check that the person checking everyone ELSE’s vaccination/negative COVID test status is, themselves, vaccinated or has a negative COVID test.

4. All people who check vaccination/negative COVID test results must sign the statement provided by the Board. See below for a model page.

5. Treat the statement affirming that the person/people have checked the vaccination/negative COVID test results of everyone attending the event like event waivers — file & maintain them in the same way that you file & maintain event waivers.

COVID vaccination and Test Attestment form