CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM IN A COVID-19 WORLD
The current COVID-19 Community Risk Level is: LOW (as of Janary 27, 2023)
The current mitigations are:
- Continue hybrid service options
- Allow families of high-risk students in religious school to request their student’s class be masked.
The following plan is proposed in order to enable CBS to quickly and appropriately adjust our practices to shifts in community COVID-19 case and hospitalization levels. As DuPage County risk levels shift upward and downward, our community will adopt greater or lesser levels of mitigation. These changes will be clearly communicated by our synagogue leadership and clergy.
Our synagogue will be guided by public health recommendations from the Illinois Department of Public Health, DuPage County Health Department, and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We will also continue to be guided by the principal of “Pikuach Nefesh,” placing a priority on the health and safety of our community. We encourage all our members to get vaccinated and boosted, if possible, and to stay home when they feel sick (or are recovering from recent illness).
Proposed Mitigation Plan:
Congregation Beth Shalom COVID-19 Mitigation strategies will be guided by DuPage County COVID-19 Community level assessments and mitigation recommendations, as defined at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html (chart as of 5.6.22 reproduced below for reference):
| COVID-19 Community Levels (Use the Highest Level that Applies to Your Community) | ||||
| New COVID-19 Cases Per 100,000 people in the past 7 days | Indicators | Low | Medium | High |
| < 200 cases | New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population (7 day total) | <10.0 | 10.0-19.9 | ≥20.0 |
| Percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by
COVID-19 patients (7 day average) | <10.0% | 10.0-14.9% | ≥15.0% | |
| ≥ 200 cases | New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population (7 day total) | n/a | <10.0 | ≥10.0 |
| Percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by
COVID-19 patients (7 day average) | n/a | <10.0% | ≥10.0% | |
- At all levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal level of risk.
- People with exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.
- People with symptoms are asked to test negative prior to attending in-person programming.
- People who test positive with COVID-19 should follow CDC recommended procedures for isolation and quarantine, namely to stay home for at least 5 days and wear a mask for at least days 6-10 when returning to CBS in-person.
- At all levels, maintain good ventilation and encourage hand washing.
When the COVID-19 Community Level is:
LOW
CBS will…
- Continue hybrid service options
- Allow families of high-risk students in religious school to request their student’s class be masked.
MEDIUM
CBS will…
- Continue hybrid service options
- Strongly encourage masking by all, with a well-fitting mask (Masks may be removed to actively eat or drink)
HIGH
CBS will…
- Continue hybrid service options
- Require masking by all during worship services in the building with the exception of those actively participating in services on the Bimah
- The Board will review transitioning synagogue activities, including Religious School, to a virtual experience
At All Levels: High risk individuals may request everyone attending an event be masked or that alternative mitigating strategies be employed; if there is a conflict, this will be brought to the VP Admin, if VP Admin is unable to resolve conflict, it will be brought to the Board for resolution
*Guidance subject to change; current as of June 2022