Dear Members and Friends,
Recently, I’ve been hearing that some UUCV folks using the building are no longer wearing masks or social distancing consistently in their small group activities.
I think I get it. The pandemic has been dragging on since March of last year. We’ve endured 20 months of shutdown rules, partial reopening, closing down again, and now again a glimmer of light from the end of the tunnel. We have been subjected to various calls to mask, social distance, avoid crowds, and get vaccinated. We have seen other churches open fully, some not at all, and others such as UUCV open partially. Masks and vaccines have become politicized. Even though we may see ourselves as rational beings, there is so much misinformation, disinformation, and mixed messaging going around that we may not be sure what to believe.
COVID fatigue is real. We experience feelings of deprivation by not being able to pursue our usual activities as freely as we did pre-pandemic. We may be getting used to wearing a mask, but we are also weary of putting them on and being on guard as to whether others around us are doing the same. We get tired of wondering if we are far enough away from others.
All of this focus on compliance can easily lead us to resentment and complacency. After a roller coaster period of 20 months, the COVID trends are looking a little better. Ventura County, as of this writing, has decreased to a “medium risk” level. We get impatient about UUCV’s pace of reopening and the limits set on what we want to do. If we haven’t yet gotten sick, maybe the threat isn’t as real as we thought. Maybe we don’t need to be quite as vigilant about following all the rules. And with the holidays rapidly approaching, do we again really want to sacrifice our family gatherings that celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas?
The answer is that we do need to continue being careful. Local public health authorities warn about a possible winter surge. There are even concerns about a new offshoot of the Delta variant that is considered at least 10% more contagious than Delta.
We have come a long way in keeping our community safe and connected. It may be frustrating, but we need to heed what is keeping us safe. If we choose to come to church, we take on the responsibility to act in ways that protect ourselves and others. As important as vaccinations and social distancing are, when we are together in person, masking is critical to staying safe.
Wearing masks is more for the protection of others than ourselves. There are still many people who cannot be vaccinated or are otherwise vulnerable. Their vulnerability may be obvious or it may be hidden. So wearing masks is a way to protect other people. COVID-19 is making us more aware of the balancing act between how we serve the common good – our public health – and individual rights and desires.
We have put up new signs at the entrance that summarize our guidelines:
Help keep the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura a safe place.
Please protect this community and serve our common good by:
1. Wearing a mask indoors.
2. Practicing physical distancing.
3. Being mindful of your own and others’ health, including being vaccinated if you can be, staying home if you are feeling ill.
I wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
Be well,
Yukio Okano
UUCV Board President
A Message from Yukio Okano
UUCV Board President
