Seattle Girls Choir Health and Safety FAQ
(As of 8/30/22)
Thank you for enrolling your chorister in another great year of music learning!
We wanted to update our community on the guidelines we are putting in place for this year, as we continue to navigate a world with COVID. Below is an FAQ that hopefully addresses questions you may have about how we are approaching protocols this year. If we’ve missed something please feel free to get in touch.
Protocols are subject to change based on guidelines from state or county public health departments.
What guidelines are you using?
We will be most closely following the guidance issued by the Washington State Department of Health for schools and child care centers. We are neither a school nor a child care facility per se, but these guidelines are the most relevant to us and the environments we work in.
Will everyone still be wearing masks?
Masking will be optional this year, unless King County moves the COVID community transmission level to high. In the event that the community transmission level becomes high, we will move back to universal masking. This is in line with guidance for schools, including performing arts groups. There may be instances in which some ensembles move to masked rehearsals if there are concerns about an outbreak event. If that is the case, SGC staff will communicate with families ASAP.
Are you requiring vaccinations?
Yes. All SGC choristers and staff are still required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate in SGC activities.
What’s the ventilation/air flow like in my choristers’ rehearsal space?
We are in communication with the facilities managers of the choir center, and monitor room air exchange rates to ensure that each room filters air at the recommended 3+ air exchanges per hour. Each space also has additional windows and doors that open to the outside that can be used to increase air flow. As added support we have HEPA filter purifiers to run during rehearsal and during breaks in room use.
Is there a virtual option for my chorister?
We are discontinuing the Zoom attendance option for choristers this year. If your chorister is sick they should stay home and focus on resting, and our faculty will be happy to fill families in on what they missed when the chorister is feeling well again.
Please inform your chorister’s conductor of any absences as soon as possible. While absences due to illness are unavoidable and critical for the health and safety of others, we want to encourage families to avoid other conflicts that arise from other activities and extracurriculars.
What happens if there is a positive COVID case in my chorister’s class?
If a family reports that their chorister has received a positive COVID test, and that chorister was in rehearsal within two days of that positive test, we will send a notification out to that choir level to inform families.
The Department of Health school guidelines state that fully vaccinated students do not need to quarantine unless they are experiencing symptoms. Families should monitor for symptoms, and those who spend time indoors with individuals at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 should wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after exposure.
When can a chorister return to rehearsals after having COVID?
For choristers, faculty, and staff who have COVID-19 and have or had symptoms:
- They can end isolation after five days if they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, other symptoms are resolved, and show a negative rapid test result. If the person meets these criteria, they can return to rehearsal after five days of isolation. The individual should continue to wear a mask in rehearsals for 5 additional days.
- If they continue to have a fever or other symptoms have not improved after five days of isolation, they should wait to end isolation until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, other symptoms are resolved, and show a negative rapid test result.
- If symptoms persist longer than ten days, let us know and we can talk about next steps.
Please feel free to get in touch with any questions you might have. And thanks again!