COVID-19 Information

Last Updated: March 7, 2023

Pendle Hill is committed to supporting a safe environment for our guests and staff despite COVID-19. Staff leadership is monitoring the latest information about COVID prevention and the development of new variants, including recommendations of public health and workplace health authorities at every level and in consultation with medical professionals . These inform our policies and practices, which we endeavor to update as nimbly as wisdom and good discernment allow in order to optimize the wellbeing of guests, staff, and others associated with Pendle Hill. Below, please find our practices and policies related to COVID-19 mitigation.

What is Pendle Hill doing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on campus?
In order to best provide a safe environment for guests and staff on campus, Pendle Hill sets certain expectations for guests on campus, provides updates to our infrastructure and care for spaces, and implements requirements among staff.

Expectations of Guests

• We ask that all guests at Pendle Hill respect the below expectations, understanding the communal space and care that Pendle Hill seeks to create for all guests, staff, and residents. All guests of Pendle Hill are required to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 in advance of coming to campus. We strongly encourage everyone to get boosted, though it is not a requirement to be on campus at this time..
• All guests are required to complete a waiver and a pre-arrival screening no more than 24 hours prior to arriving on campus. See the Waiver & Screening section of our FAQ page for more information on this form’s contents and ramifications.
• Masks are required indoors except when eating or in one’s private room/quarters.
  • Groups renting space on campus can agree among themselves to remove masks if desired when in their assigned meeting space only.
• We encourage all guests to take a COVID test of any type (PCR, rapid, at home) within 48 hours of arrival on campus. This may be a requirement for some Pendle Hill offerings.

Please see our Guest Expectations in COVID-19 Mitigation FAQ for more information about any of the above expectations.

Expectations of Guests Effective April 15, 2023

• Masks are required indoors except when eating or in one’s private room/quarters.
  • Groups renting space on campus can agree among themselves to remove masks if desired when in their assigned meeting space only. For Pendle Hill education programs, the default will be for indoor masking, unless specifically noted otherwise on the program website.
• We ask all guests to test themselves no more than 24 hours prior to their arrival and not to come if they test positive or are otherwise sick. Any FDA-approved at-home test or PCR test is acceptable.
• We ask all guests to self-monitor for symptoms while they are on campus, and should they develop concerning symptoms, to communicate with their program leaders (if here with a program) or Pendle Hill staff (if not).
• We strongly encourage all guests to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Space Updates

• Pendle Hill has installed updated air purification systems for all our meeting spaces and dining areas.
• In addition to our regular thorough cleaning regimen, commonly touched surfaces are now also disinfected daily.
• Pendle Hill has acquired and placed an easy-application glove machine at the beginning of the tray-line, which all using the tray-line are expected to use.
• In order to minimize opportunity for the spread of disease, Pendle Hill is limiting the number of guests permitted on campus at any given time, and staff who are able to work from home are required to do so in response to regional spikes in COVID cases or other related safety concerns at the discretion of the Executive Director.

Staff Requirements

• All staff are required to be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, except those with a valid religious or medical exemption.
• Staff wear masks indoors except when eating and when working alone in an enclosed space.
• Staff are asked to use these hygiene measures:
  • Wash hands for 20 seconds or more after bathroom use, before each use of tray line, before use of heavy-traffic appliances, before preparing food, before handling clean dishes or serving utensils, after eating, and after handling dirty dishes,
  • Use the provided gloves to go through the tray-line without touching any serving utensils with bare hands,
  • Use auto-door openers with elbow whenever they are available around campus,
  • Use a paper towel on the handle of bathroom doorknobs when departing bathroom.
• Staff are required to test for COVID-19 if they develop any symptoms of COVID and after traveling in an enclosed space with the general public for two hours or more.
• Staff are required to actively monitor their health and wellness and that of their families or “pods,” and follow clearly laid out guidelines related to quarantine or isolation in the case of a COVID exposure or positive case. These guidelines are at least as stringent as those recommended by the CDC, and in some cases more so.