2024 BLU Retreat - COVID Safety Guidelines and Suggestions

The entire country is in the middle of yet another COVID surge, in addition to flu season starting. We are working hard to keep our community – near and far – as safe as possible. But we need your help! Masks are welcomed during the entire retreat, and we recommend that all attendees do a few things before coming.

Before the Retreat

Free COVID tests are available again. Every household can order 4 tests using this link. Sign up asap, and you should receive them before the retreat.

We strongly recommend that you minimize “high-risk” activities between now and the retreat (two weeks). If you have to attend any of these activities, we suggest that you wear a high-quality mask (N95 or KN95). A few examples of high-risk activities are: plane flights, dance parties, gyms, sporting events, fairs, and large (30+ people) indoor or outdoor events.

Testing Suggestions

We know that testing is not perfect, but it’s still an important tool to help keep us as safe as possible. Many people are testing positive for COVID and have no symptoms at all, so we have some suggestions on when to test before the retreat.

• Rapid antigen test (the kind in the home tests) - take a test on Tuesday October 8th, and then again the morning of the day you are traveling to BLU. 

• PCR/NAAT test (only available at a provider office/clinic/pharmacy; usually takes 48 hours for results) – take it at least 2 days before your travel day. We suggest you do rapid testing as well on October 8th and on your travel day).

Everyone will be tested for COVID before the retreat begins. Anyone taking the bus from LAX will be tested before getting on the bus. All others will be tested at the retreat site.

What if I Test Positive?

If you test positive for COVID within the five days before the retreat, or at the retreat itself, unfortunately, you will not be able to join the retreat. We recognize that this will be incredibly disappointing and inconvenient for anyone who tests positive. We are working to balance the continued public health threat of COVID, the protection of our community (which includes compromised and older individuals), and the goal of having everyone who registers attend the retreat.

If you test positive, our team will be discreet and not disclose the identity of the person who contracted COVID to anyone else besides the planning committee. We do not seek to further stigmatize anyone for contracting COVID.

Finally, while we will miss you, please do not attend this year’s retreat if:

• You or someone in your household has tested positive for COVID as of October 6th through 11th.
• You had close contact with someone who recently tested positive for COVID 
•  You have COVID symptoms (meaning new symptoms that are not a part of your familiar chronic illness presentation).  

For paid registrants who test positive, we will not be able to offer refunds at that late date, but we will offer a credit toward next year's retreat. Please let us know up until 10/11, if you find yourself in this situation.  

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@blacklesbiansunited.org .

 
Adapted from Gata (@gata_the_baddie) and a friend