PPAC COVID-19 Policies and Practices
Hi everyone! This thread is where we'll post formal updatse of our current COVID Policies and Practices have discussions and decisions on any changes. Please see the thread below and linked threads for context and development.
Basic Rules:
As per New York State guidelines, cooperative members have voted to adopt the policy that all people present at 424 West 54th St. need to be properly wearing appropriate face masks at all times, and should maintain social distance when possible.
Do not come into the space if you are symptomatic or test positive for COVID-19. Please follow the NYC Health guidance on isolation and let the PPAC board and close contacts you had in the space know.
If you have been a close contact of a known positive case, please follow the NYC Health guidance on whether you need to quarantine. *Please note: "fully vaccinated and up to date" means having received a full first round AND booster dose of one of the vaccines.
Basic guidelines:
wash hands / use sanitizer frequently
regularly clean high-touch surfaces (e.g., after you use the kitchen, wipe handles and surfaces)
keep ventilation high: open windows if feasible and keep all hvac controls at least on the fan setting at max speed)
Occupancy Limits:
As per the recent poll (see below), we will be using the city mandated 25% occupancy cap to set the following safe occupancies for each part of the space (with social distancing as a given):
25 max on the 1st Floor (Living Room, Cafe/Storefront, and Welcome Area combined. Don’t cram 25 people in the Storefront!)
5 max in the Meditation Classroom
10 max in the Collaboratory
2 max in the Large Conference Room
1 max in the Small Conference Room
3 max in the Basement Workspace
3 max in the 3rd Floor main space
Fans should be on at all times and if feasible, open a window to introduce fresh air.
For events and hosting practices (e.g., work-related guests) must have a predetermined guest list, and must follow the above occupancy guidelines (in addition to masking and social distancing at all times).
If you have any questions/comments/concerns please comment below, or reach out directly to the board at [email protected].
(2021 December: previous update/poll)
New York State has issued a formal requirement that all indoor public spaces (defined as spaces that are not private residences) must implement EITHER a full-vaccine requirement to enter the space, or a full mask mandate regardless of vaccination status. (Technically, this requirement is in effect since 12:01am today, Dec 13th). That presents us with a simple question:
Do we want a full vaccination requirement for anyone who enters the space (showing that they are 14 past the final dose of the 2-shot regimes, or from the single shot)? Or do we want to forgo the checking requirement, and mandate that everyone in the space is wearing masks AT ALL TIMES and following social distancing practices?
Either way, we should be actively upholding the basic safety practices:
frequent handwashing
regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces
keeping ventilation high
not coming into the space if symptomatic, testing positive, or exposed to a known positive case.
Posting the decision question below. If a quorum of full cooperative members do not vote on the proposal, the board will assume decision-making authority based on responses given and its best judgment.
Current PPAC COVID-19 Policy, recommendations, and current considerations (working) (if you have issues accessing, request access or contact the board: [email protected].)
New York State FAQ on recent requirements (with a link to the original policy statement).
Poll Created Mon 13 Dec 2021 8:52PM
Will we implement full vaccination requirement or mask requirement for people entering our guild hall? Closed Tue 14 Dec 2021 10:01PM
Hey all! Thanks so much for everyone for participating in this timely decision. There were some really helpful perspectives on this issue that folks posted alongside their votes.
For many of the folks (Yuko, Max, Dave, Army, and Jerone) who voted for masking, we actually discussed the issue earlier today as part of an urgent check-in regarding the Emergent Works event this Friday and we found alignment around inclusivity, for folks who have health conditions that medically preclude them from being vaccinated (e.g. folks with certain autoimmune conditions) as well as communities who are justifiably more cautious about these kinds of issues (definitely check out Army's comment as an example).
It's worth noting that both options mandated by the state are approved by health authorities and are designed to prevent community spread of COVID.
We very much want to ensure that everyone who shares our guildhall is heard and has a platform to share their thoughts and feelings. Please do share your piece in this Loomio thread where other guildmates can read it, reach out to the BOD as needed, and let’s engage each other in respectful dialogue. The BoD is going to proactively connect with folks who voted for the vaccination requirement option later this week.
Thank you all for participating in this cooperative, participatory thingamajiggy with us.
~ Yuko, Dave, Max, & Jerone
See writeup above. The basic policy requirement needs to be decided on immediately.
What measures we take beyond the initial question are open for discussion (please do so below the poll; results will be hidden until it closes). This includes such issues as whether we want to require masking regardless of status, and whether we want to require proof of a booster shot in some form.
Important Note: This applies to ALL users of the space, regardless of membership status or an event. We can no longer have a "mixed" set of requirements.
IMPORTANT CONTEXT: It is worth noting that, while upwards of 70% of eligible New Yorkers have received at least partial vaccination, those rates are really disparate across different communities. This is also apparent across racial identities, with the lowest rates among the Black community. This is a really complex and present issue, tied to significant historical contexts that we as a community are not excluded from. Just something to consider in terms of equity and access: there may be factors beyond just the basic elements of public health that are at play in a policy like this and its impact on our community.
Results
| Results | Option | % of points | Voters | |||
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Mask mandate for all users of the space, regardless of vaccination status (and not checking). | 54.5% | 6 |
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Full vaccination requirement (i.e., proof of being 14 days past the final dose of the various vaccines.) | 45.5% | 5 |
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| Undecided | 0% | 4 |
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11 of 15 people have participated (73%)
David Mon 13 Dec 2021 8:52PM
People have different relationships to the vaccine, and not all communities have had the same levels of access or acceptance of their efficacy and/or safety, which is reflective of deeper historical, social, cultural, and racial factors. These are not insignificant. While I VERY strongly support and encourage everyone to get fully vaccinated and boosted, I understand that there is much work to be done on building trust and communicating with people that are hesitant around it. I think that there are people in our community who feel that way and that is where we have work to do. Until we reach a point of shared understanding around vaccines, full masking will be the only way to comply with New York State's mandate while continuing to operate.
michelle jackson Mon 13 Dec 2021 8:53PM
It has the least amount of steps and is very clear for everyone. There are no if-then situations. Everyone wears a mask.”
I personally prefer vax and mask option. I recognize our capacity limitations. Extra steps will be hard to track in a space where everyone enters and leaves at different times with no one who is consistently at a welcome desk to check and monitor.
Yuko Mon 13 Dec 2021 8:53PM
Mask mandate please. Full Vaccination is suggested, but for health concerns, etc that does exists. Keeping everyone safe is the priority.
Wally P Mon 13 Dec 2021 8:53PM
The vaccination requirement is stronger. Personally, while I am fully-vaccinated and boosted, I will still choose to wear a mask if/when in the space - even if not required - so that there is even less risk of unintentional transmission.
Army Armstead Mon 13 Dec 2021 8:53PM
Black people have been historically traumatized through vaccines. As we continue to serve our community members we want to respect their decision to become or not become vaccinated but also prioritize everyone's health. We should allow space for people to do their research and make the choice that best supports them. I believe wearing masks and temperature checking takes preventative measures against COVID. A full vaccination requirement will leave EW out of the building.
David Tue 14 Dec 2021 12:36AM
Thanks @Wally P -- I hear that and it makes sense to me, generally. I just wanted to get the two mandated options on the table before we then decide whether to go beyond them, which is totally plausible.
That's interesting about liabilities--does it seem like there is some exposure if just a vax requirement is instituted? It also gets a little tricky because PPAC is not an employer, though of course the decisions of membership and the Board can be held as policy, as far I understand from our bylaws etc.
Item removed
Poll Created Tue 11 Jan 2022 7:21AM
COVID Safety Practices (January 2022) Closed Sat 15 Jan 2022 7:03AM
Hi everyone! Thank you for participating in this important vote. It's clear from the ranked voting that the preferred option is Option 2, which some emphatic opinions in support of it as the only viable option as well as tentative support for it given some additional definition, specifically:
"I wonder what a "limited entry private event" means? How does that work? Is a private event = personal event or a work event? How does that reflect our other COVID protocols and things that need to happen in order to have those "limited entry private events"? I'm unclear if that is really an option for us."
For review, this is the specific wording of the proposal:
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We use the city mandated 25% occupancy to set safe limits in each part of the space (with social distancing as a given):
25 max on the 1st Floor (Living Room, Cafe/Storefront, and Welcome Area combined. Don’t cram 25 people in the Storefront!)
5 max in the Meditation Classroom,
10 max in the Collaboratory,
2 max in the Large Conference Room,
1 max in the Small Conference Room,
3 max in the Basement Workspace, and
3 max in the 3rd Floor main space
No public-facing events, but limited-entry private events are OK.
ADDITIONAL NOTE:
Thanks to some feedback from @Max, we would like to recommend a 'best practice' for future ranked voting:
If you are making a proposal, please add an "Abstain" option for folks who only want to vote for one option and don't even want to contribute to any other options
If you are voting and there's not an "Abstain" option or there aren't enough "Abstain" options, please write in your own "Abstain" option.
Given the current (as of 1/10/22) clear and present risk of COVID presented by the Omicron strain outbreak, we are changing PPAC’s response to protect the health of our communities.
The PPAC BoD is proposing these three options for cooperative adoption until the spike hopefully subsides and we can safely re-engage the space. Please rank your choices in order of preference below!
Options:
We revert to our Summer 2020 policy: no more than 10 people in the space at any time. No public-facing or internal hosted events beyond direct guild community and teams.
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We use the city mandated 25% occupancy to set safe limits in each part of the space (with social distancing as a given):
25 max on the 1st Floor (Living Room, Cafe/Storefront, and Welcome Area combined. Don’t cram 25 people in the Storefront!)
5 max in the Meditation Classroom,
10 max in the Collaboratory,
2 max in the Large Conference Room,
1 max in the Small Conference Room,
3 max in the Basement Workspace, and
3 max in the 3rd Floor main space
No public-facing events, but limited-entry private events are OK.
3. No one goes in unless it's for essential maintenance reasons (Spring 2020 lockdown policy).
Results
| Results | Option | Rank | % of points | Points | Mean | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Option 2 | 1 | 39.4% | 26 | 2.4 | ||
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Option 1 | 2 | 33.3% | 22 | 2.0 | ||
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Just Option 2 | 3 | 13.6% | 9 | 2.3 | ||
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Option 3 | 4 | 9.1% | 6 | 1.0 | ||
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Clarification on Option 2 | 5 | 4.5% | 3 | 3.0 | ||
| Undecided | 0% | 0 | 0 |
11 of 18 people have participated (61%)
Wally P · Mon 13 Dec 2021 11:00PM
Hi David - the poll has been set up such that the options are mutually exclusive. In my workplace, we do both (vaccination plus masking in shared spaces). I would vote for both to avoid any legal liabilities to PPAC.
Thanks,
Wally