WellSprings Covid-19 Exposure Protocol

We were so glad to see case counts drop this month in Chester County, which allowed us to welcome our community back to Bell Hall, this past Sunday! We must remember, however, that the return to in-person attendance also means an increased risk that Covid-19 exposure could happen at a WellSprings event. People are still testing positive for this virus every day. While the vaccine prevents serious illness and death, it is not foolproof – and importantly, the youngest members of our community can not yet access its protection.

Therefore, the Board of Trustees has outlined a protocol for what we will do, if an exposure happens at WellSprings in the future.

First, please notify us if you test positive for Covid-19 within 14 days after you attend a WellSprings event. The entire process below depends on you sharing this information with us. We will not share your name, unless you give us clear permission to do so. Know that we will receive your call with compassion and understanding, because it really could be any of us. E-mail office@wellspringsuu.org or call (610) 280-3797 to notify us.

If we are informed of a possible exposure at WellSprings, we will do the following:

• Send an e-mail notifying anyone who was present at any WellSprings event where the exposure took place. If exposure happens on a Sunday, we will e-mail everyone who pre-registered on that Sunday’s sign-up genius form. We will provide links to current guidance from the CDC on what precautions you should take, after an exposure.
• Send an all-congregation e-mail to inform everyone of the exposure, specifying the events where exposure occurred, just to be sure we haven’t missed anyone.
• If the person who tests positive requests it, we’ll share their name so that members of our beloved community can offer calls, care, and support. We will ask anyone who tests positive not to return to any in-person events until at least 10 days have passed since their positive test, and until they have a negative result, on a subsequent test.

As always, we ask that you please stay home from WellSprings gatherings if you feel ill.

Finally, if you discover you’ve been exposed to a positive case of Covid-19 in another setting (e.g. work, school, home, etc.), the CDC’s guidance offers different recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated people. However, we ask that you take additional precautions when considering the risks of coming to WellSprings in-person – particularly on Sundays, where unvaccinated children will be present. Please stay home until you have either a negative test, or until 14 days have passed since the exposure.

It is such a joy to be able to gather again: some of us in person, and all of us in these newly emerging ways. As we do so, our community’s safety depends on all of our cooperation. We’re grateful for your presence, and for your willingness to care for yourself and others by taking these additional measures.

Please feel free to reach out to your Board with any questions about these procedures, at board@wellspringsuu.org.