COVID-19 Information

_{Updated 6/22/21}

Dear Girl Scout Family,

As you know, Girl Scouts of Central California South (GSCCS) has worked diligently to comply with the public health orders and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Governor, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and our local county public health officials, while continuing to provide programming and operations for our girls and their families. Until last week (June 15, 2021), the State of California had imposed county-based restrictions that were articulated under the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy . In turn, GSCCS shared and published a matrix of which activities were allowed and which restrictions would be required in each of the tiers on a county-by-county basis. We have operated under these restrictions for the majority of the past eighteen months of the pandemic. I am pleased to share that effective immediately, these restrictions have been lifted and are no longer required by the State of California or our Council.

Under the latest guidance issued by the State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health, all sectors listed in the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy (including Girl Scouts) may return to usual operations (with limited exceptions noted below for Mega Events). The following summarizes the remaining restrictions in place:

Restrictions Applying to Indoor & Outdoor Settings
Vaccine Verification/Negative Testing	Required for Indoor mega events (5,000+ participants) Recommended for Outdoor mega events (10,000+ participants
Capacity Limitations	No restrictions.
Physical Distancing	No restrictions for volunteers, attendees, customers and guests. Restrictions remain for unvaccinated staff under the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards.
Masking	Follow current CDPH Guidance for Face Coverings: Masks are required to continue to be worn by unvaccinated individuals. Vaccinated individuals do not have to wear masks. GSCCS will not be collecting vaccination status from volunteers and it is the policy of GSCCS that each volunteer shall self-certify as to their vaccination status in determining if they must wear a mask or not in compliance with this policy. All volunteers are reminded that self-certifying dishonestly would be a violation of the Girl Scout Promise and Law and such action would subject the volunteer to discipline and removal under Council policy. While GSCCS will not be collecting proof of vaccination for self-certification, GSCCS reserves the right to request proof or investigate as required to comply with the CPDH guidance and this policy. GSCCS must collect and certify vaccination status from employees under the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards. GSCCS employees that have verified vaccination against COVID-19 do not have to wear masks in most situations, while employees that have not been vaccinated do. Certain facilities and environments, including public transit and indoors in K-12 schools, require continued use of masking by all parties regardless of vaccination status. To the extent that Troops, Service Units, and/or members utilize school facilities that require continued mask use or utilize public transportation, volunteers must follow those more restrictive policies.
Travelers	Follow CDC recommendations and CDPH Travel Advisory.
Employees	GSCCS employees must follow Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards.

At our core, GSCCS is a volunteer-led organization that relies on the support of incredible, caring, and dedicated Troop and Service Unit Leaders who bring our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character to life on a daily basis. We believe that many decisions are best made at the local level, where volunteers know their individual girls and families best. To that end, while the above represents the Council standards, we want each volunteer to know that we will be supportive of local Troops and Service Units requiring more strict standards than that which has been articulated above, as long as those standards are in the best interest of the local Troop and Service Unit and its members. This may lead, for example, to some Troops or Service Units continuing to require masks for all individuals or slower return to “normal” activities, depending on the leaders and families comfort. In short, we want to ensure that we support our leaders in making local decisions as long as they are not less restrictive than the standards outlined above.

I know that the past eighteen months have been uniquely challenging for all of us at Girl Scouts and individually in our personal lives. On behalf of our Council, Board of Directors, and all of our staff, I thank you for your continued dedication to Girl Scouts and for your support of girl leadership in the Central Valley. Should you have specific questions at a Troop or Service Unit Level, or have questions that are not answered by this communication, I encourage you to reach out to us at customercare@girlscoutsccs.org or at 800-490-8653. We look forward to assisting you!

Warm regards,

Russel

Dr. Russel Statham Chief Executive Officer

Girl Scouts of Central California South