As of March 12, 2021, gatherings up to 20 may be held when the space is appropriate, and precautions are met:
Outdoor space is the best. If indoors, there is appropriate space and ventilation/airflow (e.g., windows and doors open) relative to the group size.
- Note, some spaces are not suitable for even the smallest groups when the area is too small to allow for adequate spacing, there is a lack of ventilation, or non-group members are too close.
All other protocols must be rigorously followed.
- Family consent
- Pre-activity symptom screening for all participants.
- Sanitizing/cleaning before, during, and after
- Participants wear appropriate masks/face coverings
- Physical distancing in effect
- No group meals
Troop Meeting Space. Using outdoor spaces with social distancing is strongly recommended. Meetings may not be held in fitness centers or gyms, where a greater risk for contracting the virus may exist. Schools or churches may not allow outside groups on-premises, so always check and confirm ahead of time. Council facilities may begin to accommodate socially distanced gatherings on a case-by-case basis.
Troop Meetings in the home. In-home meetings are not recommended out of concern that there would be a greater risk of exposure to other family members. If meeting indoors, ensure that there is appropriate space and ventilation/airflow relative to the group size.
Troop Meeting Size. The recommended maximum is 10-20 people (with the proper girl to volunteer ratio).
Transportation. Public transportation is not allowed to ensure social distancing. Individual parents drop-off and pick-up their own girls from meetings/activities as much as possible.
As of March 15th, carpooling is permitted with appropriate precautions:
- Make sure parents are aware ahead of time if girls will be in a car together.
- Always conduct the Council’s pre-screening process for all participants.
- Girls and adults wear CDC-approved masks
- Keep the car window opened, at least partially, to circulate fresh air.
- Consider every
participant and their family’s health situation and comfortability
before deciding to carpool. Make other accommodations with families
who have increased health risks and concerns for their
household.
- Sustained contact within less than six (6) feet for longer than ten (10) minutes within an enclosed area creates a high risk for virus transmission, so be very careful with carpool decisions.
- Adults should meet the girls at a designated location where parents can drive up and drop-off/pick-up their Girl Scout. This ensures that larger groups are not gathering to wait for troop participants.
Virtual Meetings. GSUSA recommends maintaining a virtual to in-person meeting ratio of at least 20/80, which means holding virtual troop meetings at least 20% of the time to keep tech skills and virtual meeting habits fresh. Use the Safety Activity Checkpoints for Virtual Meetings, to guide your meeting plans.
Day Trips and Activities. In conjunction with Safety Activity Checkpoints, follow the guidance for Troop Meetings and hygiene and COVID-19 risk mitigation guidance. Call ahead to the facility or vendor to confirm that they are following CDC and state health department guidelines.
