Minyan COVID

Minyan Guidelines

Rev. 6/23/2022

We are pleased that the COVID-19 risk level in CT has dropped to a much lower level. As a result of this, the medical advisory committee of the YIWH recommends optional masking. Those people who are at high risk for complications from COVID-19 should consider continuing to use a well fitting mask to increase their personal protection, as should those who would like the extra protection a well fitting masks gives. If you've had a recent COVID exposure, please follow CDC's guidelines or contact the shul's medical committee. As always, if you are sick with any illness, please don't return to shul until it has resolved.

General Guidelines

• We encourage all eligible individuals to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

• All attendees must be in good health regardless of vaccination status!

• If anyone is feeling under the weather or have a new loss of taste or smell, please do not come to shul.

Masks

• The Young Israel of West Hartford will be adopting a masking optional policy regardless of vaccination status.

• Please note that:
  1. We encourage those who are comfortable wearing masks to continue doing so. 
  2. We consider fully vaccinated to be those people who have had their initial series and booster shot, if eligible. 
  3. Those who have recently recovered from COVID-19 are not required to mask for 3 months from their positive test.
  4. The Young Israel Medical Task Force urges everyone to get fully vaccinated, including getting a booster shot if you are five months or more beyond your last vaccination (if you are medically eligible). 
  5. Regardless of vaccination status, anyone with any of the following symptoms should not come to shul: fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, chills or shaking chills, muscle aches, sore throat, severe cough, headache, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion or runny nose, or new loss of sense of taste or smell.

Seating

• Seating in the sanctuary will be unassigned and unrestricted.

• We realize that our members have varying levels of both medical risks and comfort with these updates. We will be designating two rows of seats on both sides of the mechitzah in the Sanctuary as mask-required sections. These rows will be marked with signs and will provide a space for those uncomfortable sitting close to unmasked individuals. (We will increase the space if there is additional demand).

Physical Plant/Other

• The backdoor and windows will no longer be left open.

• The A/C will continue to be switched to ON to enable constant air flow and filtration.

• Outdoor minyanim will be held at the discretion of the President, Rabbi Brander and Gabbaim.

We anticipate further updates to our protocols in the near future, so please make sure to look for Young Israel of West Hartford emails. Thank you for your continued patience during this time. We are all anxious to see an end to restrictions of any kind.

We understand that real life scenarios do not always line up with written guidelines and that a measure of common medical sense can be incorporated into each situation. As such, we have set up a system to discuss questions and individual circumstances. Please email DR@youngisraelwh.org and a member of COVID-19 Medical Committee will be in touch.