How we prevent the spread of airborne disease at the SWANA Rose Culture + Community Center
Following is an abridged version with the main points of our Masks Policy, please click HERE for the full version with more details.
Masks are required at the SWANA Rose Culture + Community Center. Based on scientific evidence and the access needs of our community, we at the SWANA Rose understand that we are living in an ongoing, lethal and disabling COVID-19 pandemic. Our policies exist to protect our community.
We require masks at the SWANA Rose because:
- There is concrete evidence that universal masking significantly reduces the spread of not only COVID-19, but all airborne illnesses (i.e the flu, RSV, TB, and H5N1).
- Our community is made up of disabled people, children, and elders whose lives are worth protecting.
- We reject the normalization of mass death.
The nitty gritty:
We define “mask” as a high quality, high filtration respirator such as an N95, KN95, or Kf94. If you do not have your own, SWANA Rose can provide you with a high-filtration mask at the front door. We have many styles and sizes to fit most ages and sizes of people, toddler through adult.
We define “wearing” a mask as having the mask be fully covering the areas it’s designed to on your face, including both your nose and mouth.
We also offer free COVID rapid antigen tests, and provide HEPA air purifiers for additional layers of protection at our space.
Any gathering held at the SWANA Rose Culture + Community Center will be masks required.
Any media, whether physical or virtual, that promote events at the SWANA Rose must have “masks required” clearly stated on the flyer.
The SWANA Rose has physical reminders on the outside and inside of the space that state that masks are required.
Please do not attend any SWANA Rose events if you are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms, diarrhea, or vomiting, regardless of if you are currently testing negative for COVID-19.
Please do not attend any SWANA Rose Events if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or the flu within the last 5 days.
What about food & drink?
Our masking policy does not mean that food and drink cannot be features of your gathering. People may briefly lower their masks indoors between sips and bites.
For eating a larger meal (something more than just a small snack) unmasked, we provide tables and chairs to eat in our back alley.
What about children that are too young (generally under the age of 2) to mask?
Children who are too young to mask may attend SWANA Rose events.
Please be aware there may be other small children who are also unable to mask in the space at the same time as yours.
What about presenters or performers who wish to not wear a mask during the duration of their presentation/performance?
We ask that it is clearly communicated in the initial application to use SWANA Rose that a performer or speaker will be unmasked. We also ask that any advertising for this event will have this information.
We require 2 negative rapid tests, one 48 hrs before the event, and one on the morning of the event, and that the information that the performer has taken two negative tests 48 hours apart is communicated to attendees. We can provide you with the necessary tests on request.
How do we navigate conflicting access needs?
We ask that people only consider themselves unable to wear a mask if they are (or predict they highly likely will be) actively experiencing symptoms that affect their ability to wear a mask during the scheduled time of an event at the SWANA Rose.
At the SWANA Rose, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodations should wearing a high-filtration mask be genuinely inaccessible for someone who wants to participate in our programming or use the space.
These reasonable accommodations include providing two rapid tests to be taken 48 hours apart prior to attending an event, future on-site PCR testing, future access to cooling packs, hybrid programming with virtual participation, programming that occurs outdoors with sun or rain protection, and (in some cases) wearing less-restrictive face coverings such as a bandana or surgical mask.
We ask members of the public to communicate with the host of the event about any concerns regarding another person’s masking or lack thereof, rather than directly confronting the person in question.