Covid safety plan for 2022
The highest priority for our in-person meetings while the pandemic is ongoing will be the safety of our participants and staff. This policy is intended to provide you with our current thinking about safety protocols as well as information about changes we may make as risk levels change. Currently (November 15, 2021) the pandemic seems to be receding in most of North America, but it remains a dynamic situation so we will need to be flexible. The following is our current approach to Covid safety policy based on CDC guidelines:
Notice of Safety Measures:
We want participants to know what to expect. Therefore, our planned safety protocols for each in-person segment will be posted here two months before the start date of the segment. However, given that we may need to make changes to the policy as events unfold, please read the entire policy below to know how we will approach making changes should the need arise.
Current Basic Policy (as of November 15, 2021):
All participants will have a PCR test (as opposed to a rapid antigen test) as close to the start of the program as possible and must receive a negative result before attending to the training program.
Participants should exercise special care to avoid exposure to infection during a ten-day period immediately before the training segment and especially during travel to the training. This should including wearing high-quality masks while traveling or in other situations where there is a significant exposure risk, using regular hand sanitization and maintaining appropriate safe distances from others who may pose a risk of infection.
We encourage those traveling by public transportation (air, train, bus) to arrive in the Brattleboro area in time to get a PCR test and test results prior to arriving at the training site.
Participants must wear a mask inside the training location except that students may remove their masks while participating in ATM lessons or during other portions of the training where the participants are on their individual mats. People moving around the room at any time, including during ATM lessons, should put on a mask before doing so.
Mats will be positioned the greatest possible distance from each other.
The training program will provide over-the-counter Covid tests (antigen tests) for students who are concerned about having been exposed or about symptoms, but participants who begin to experience symptoms that could indicate Covid infection during the training segment should stop attending until they have a negative PCR test result.
We will revisit this policy and notify participants of changes pertaining to the February segment around December 15, 2021, but if the overall situation and recommendations from CDC remain the same, we will maintain this policy.
If there is a significant change in the level of risk between now and February, we will act accordingly. See below for details about how we will go about changing the policy, should that become necessary.
Keeping Protocols Current:
We do not want anyone to arrive at an in-person training segment surprised about any Covid-related safety measure; however, things can change quickly. In the event that the CDC changes its guidance due to increased risk we will also change our protocols accordingly, post those changes here and notify participants via email. In an extreme situation we may even have to move an in-person segment online.
On the other hand, should the CDC loosen its recommended restrictions shortly before an in-person segment we will consult the training participants before making a policy change to loosen our safety protocols for that segment. We will ensure that participants are generally in agreement with the change in policy and informed of such a decision with as much notice as possible.
Possible Changes in Schedule or Location:
In the case of the sudden prevalence of a new Covid variant that is not covered by current vaccines, or some other large increase in risk, we may be forced to move an in-person segment online. We currently feel that anything like this happening at short notice is quite unlikely, but we are prepared to move any segment online if necessary. If we make any schedule or location changes, we will do our best to give students plenty of notice so reservations for travel and accommodations can be cancelled without penalty.
Regarding Travel Restrictions, Domestic and International:
For those traveling from places that may be subject to travel bans or other restrictions, if attending a particular segment becomes impossible we will create a workable plan for you to cover any necessary missed curriculum. We are experienced with this as it’s not uncommon for students to need to miss time in a training even without a pandemic! (Please be aware that there is a limit on how much in-person time can be missed).
In the event that a student cannot continue with training due to such restrictions the student may withdraw from the training and the tuition cost will be prorated to cover only the portion of the training up until the last day the student was able to participate.
Future Policy Changes:
The overall pandemic situation will be reviewed leading up to each in-person segment and hopefully we can all communicate and work together to create an environment that is functional and safe. If you have thoughts or suggestions related to this document please do let us know.
The preceding policy is our planned protocol (as of November 15, 2021) for the upcoming February 2022 in-person segment. We look forward to working and being together safely this winter.