From the Board of Trustees
The Moving Forward Task Force (MFTF) continues to meet regularly. They receive updates on the progress of COVID-19 in Kitsap County and make timely recommendations to the Board. At their most recent meeting on September 7, they learned that cases are very high and still rising in Kitsap County, although we are not seeing the same degree of new infections that Mason and Thurston counties are. The Delta variant has taken over, with virtually all new cases being Delta, which has 1000 times the viral load of the Alpha virus. This makes it much more contagious, and it requires far less time to infect people. The vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated. The vaccines are still doing a good job of protecting against severe COVID, hospitalization, and deaths. Kitsap hospitals have 80-82% of ICU beds occupied.
The Board of Trustees has approved the MFTF recommendation that when we see a 5% drop in numbers sustained over two weeks, we will consider a soft reopening for a small number of people, and then a larger, but still probably limited, reopening a week later. The Board is cognizant that the numbers of new COVID cases has not dropped as of Monday, September 13.
The Task Force is scheduled to meet next on October 5, but will meet sooner if we are beginning to see that drop in case numbers, and will so inform the Board.
Board members wish we had more definitive information to share, but we are all living through and coping with a highly fluid situation. In the meantime, please continue to log on to our Youtube services and welcome Rev. Jessica back to the pulpit on September 26!
Small groups from KUUF are encouraged to gather outdoors under these conditions:
*No more than 20 people attend
*They meet outside, observe social distancing, and mask if children are present
* No food is served, although people may bring their own food and dishes
*They schedule their meeting in advance with Tanesha
*One person from the group cleans the bathroom according to the established protocol.
And in the meantime and always, let us keep Reverend Jessica and her family in our thoughts and hearts. Let us continue to send her love and prayers.
Blessings to all,
KUUF Board of Trustees