UUCPA and coronavirus

At UUCPA, we are closely monitoring COVID-19 or coronavirus in our area. The County of Santa Clara’s Public Health Department has issued guidance that “for about 80% of the population, this disease will be mild.” The risk of serious infection begins to increase slowly at about age 50, and the “highest risk group are persons age 80 and over.”

As of Tuesday, the County Public Health Department recommends the following: “Persons at higher risk should avoid mass gatherings such as parades, sporting events, and concerts where large numbers of people are within arm’s length of one another. This would not include typical office environments, grocery stores, or shopping centers, where it is unusual for large numbers of people to be within arm’s length of one another.”

If you’re in a higher risk group, we suggest you take care when participating in UUCPA programs. Decide how you feel safe participating. The County Public Health Department recommends washing your hands often; avoiding close contact with people who are sick; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; and staying home when you are sick. (Note that the County Public Health Department recommends that only people who have COVID-19 symptoms should wear face masks, so if you wear a face mask others might assume you are sick.)

If you’re in a high-risk group, you can still come to UUCPA and hear the service without going into the Main Hall. Bring a portable FM radio, tune it to 88.7 MHz, and you can sit anywhere on campus and listen to the service on your radio. This way, you can avoid a crowded situation, while still being able to be part of the service and see your UUCPA friends.

For everyone, if you’re ill, please stay home. This is especially important if you have a fever or any other symptoms associated with COVID-19. For those who stay home, we’re working on setting up live-streaming of our Sunday services (broadcasting the services over the Internet), and we’re also working on setting up conference options for some small groups, where you can use your phone or computer to call in to participate.

UUCPA is also taking other health precautions. We’ll follow the County Public Health Department recommendations for additional cleaning of surfaces that might transmit disease. Orders of service will be recycled immediately, rather than re-used. We won’t shake hands, hug, or hold hands during CYRE programs, services, or other programs.

If you’d like to help set up live-streaming of our services, or conference calls for small groups, please contact Rev. Amy Morgenstern. If you have skills in public health and would like to help UUCPA stay safe, please contact Rev. Dan Harper. You can also contact either of our ministers with any questions or concerns.