Summary:

Friends General Conference recommends, but does not require, vaccinations for all event attendees over the age of six months.

Friends are asked to take a COVID test twice before traveling to an event: Once a few days before travel and once on the day of travel.*

All event attenders will be tested on arrival.  Anyone with a positive test will be asked to leave.*

Staff and volunteers working with children under the age of two will test each morning of a program.

Masking will be optional in most cases; however, FGC will continue to support Friends who ask others to mask in spaces where they need it for their own comfort and safety.  Masking in larger events, such as plenaries, will be at the discretion of the program leaders.  Children under six will generally not be asked to mask.

These procedures will be reviewed in August 2026 for the fall and winter, with consideration of the potential severity of the flu season and the possibility of using a combined COVID/influenza testing.

Please reach out with any questions or clarifications.

*Testing is optional for attendees two and under.

Friends General Conference COVID Pandemic Health & Safety Policy

Effective 26 February 2026

FGC’s Pandemic Health and Safety Working Group determines Covid protocols and policy for in person meetings through early 2026. The group decided to make a few modifications to the policy that had been in place.

We did not come to these decisions lightly or without much discussion and careful thought.  We tried to balance diverse needs of Friends in our community, including those who are more vulnerable to infection, those who find themselves isolated because masks exacerbate their hearing challenges, those who continue to struggle with the effects of long Covid, and those who have a higher risk tolerance.

As you prepare to travel to an FGC-sponsored in-person event such as the Gathering:

  • Everyone over the age of six months attending an in-person FGC Event is encouraged to have the latest COVID boosters as available per CDC or personal medical team guidance.
  • Everyone age 3 years old and up is asked to take 2 rapid COVID tests before arriving at the event.  Best practice says that one should take the two tests 48 hours apart.  For example, if you will be traveling to an event that starts on a Saturday, you might take your rapid tests on Saturday morning (day of) and Thursday (2 days before).
  • One PCR test with results before departure may be substituted. 
  • If rapid COVID tests are not easily accessible or affordable in your area, contact your local health department or search for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) at https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/, which provide low- or no-cost testing services.
  • Everyone will be administered a rapid test provided by FGC before completing check in.
  • If you are not feeling well, even if you have a negative test, we recommend that you not attend an in-person event.  
  • For fall and winter events, consider self testing for flu as well COVID to decrease the risks of asymptomatic transmissions.
  • Any attender with a positive test result, and their immediate traveling party, will be unable to participate in the event.
  • Masking will be optional at events.  For those who mask, we strongly suggest   N95, KN95, or KN94, properly worn over the nose and mouth. Masking for your own safety and comfort is primary.

We are open to ideas to promote comfort and accessibility for Friends, but we also need to not add complexity to the work of FGC staff or the staff of our host institutions.

Most importantly, we want to remind Friends that we respect each individual’s decision to mask, or not. We will respect Friends who request that if we are inside for informal personal interactions that we don a mask or go outside and distance ourselves for their increased protection. We may need to gently remind Friends about proper mask wearing; please do so with care and respect for the individual.

Everyone is reminded that the Gathering cancellation policy allows for a full refund in the event that an attender tests positive for COVID or a communicable disease and contacts the office promptly.

This policy will be reviewed in the late winter, or sooner if the public health situation changes dramatically. Rachel Ernst Stahlhut, Associate Secretary for Events, is the convenor of the working group.

Attendees at Friends General Conference events often come together from all over North America, if not the world. The fact that we are creating communities from such disparate home communities and regions increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission. While our host facilities and communities often have their own policies and risk assessments around COVID-19 based on the community that is hosting us, we must consider our increase in risk.

This risk not only concerns our FGC community, but the communities that host us. It is incumbent upon us as we seek right relationship with our hosts to minimize the risk that we bring to them.

Currently, FGC requests that you take two rapid antigen tests, approximately 48 hours apart, prior to departing for your event. This is to, if possible, safeguard against people from traveling to an event and not being able to attend.

You may be able to source rapid tests from your insurance provider. If not, pharmacies like Walgreens or CVS in the United States carry home tests. Prices as of the creation of this FAQ are $16.99 for two tests.

If rapid COVID tests are not easily accessible or affordable in your area, contact your local health department or search for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) at https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/, which provide low- or no-cost testing services. Free and charitable clinics in your community may also offer testing, and you can substitute one PCR test with results before departure for the two required rapid tests. If you continue to have difficulty accessing affordable testing, please contact FGC staff for additional assistance.

  • We believe that Friends General Conference is a religious community with a responsibility to all who attend FGC events.
    • This responsibility includes making our best efforts to maintain a high level of safety for and protection of our community.
      • Our individual choices affect others in the community
      • Marginalized community members have been found to be at greater risk of serious illness & death from COVID-19. These infections have a disproportionate impact on people with lower incomes, people with disabilities, people who are immunocompromised, people who are uninsured or underinsured, and people of color.

  • We continue to suffer from a global pandemic with recurrent waves of infection.
  • Viral evolution continues. Multiple recent variants have shown resistance to immunity from prior infections and vaccines as well as medications including Paxlovid and other therapeutics.
  • We are currently only beginning to understand the repercussions of “long COVID,” meaning continued COVID symptoms or other sequelae, which can be debilitating or disabling. Current WHO estimates are that 10%-20% of people infected by COVID experience long COVID.
  • Children under 6 months old are not eligible for vaccination, and can therefore best be protected by the reduced amount of community infection (and therefore transmission) that vaccination of those who are eligible provides.
  • Unvaccinated children, people who are immunocompromised, people with certain (common) conditions, and the elderly are at greater risk of severe disease & death.
  • Serious illness and death occur even in healthy teens and young adults, though their relative risk is lower than in those who are older.
  • Communities of color, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, people who are uninsured or underinsured, and people living in lower income communities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, even now.

  • Many organizations, including governments, have relaxed masking, distancing, and vaccination requirements.
  • Regardless of the motivation behind these moves, they do reflect declining case counts and the effectiveness of vaccination and other COVID-19 mitigation measures.
  • However, there are members of our community and the communities that we are guests in that are at increased risk from COVID-19. These can include, but are not limited to:
    • People and communities of color
    • People who are disabled
    • Indigenous people and communities
    • People living in lower-income communities
    • Children
    • People who are immunocompromised
    • The elderly
  • Friends General Conference has chosen to take extra steps and retain more vigilant measures against COVID-19 to protect the most vulnerable among us.
  • Community members have also needed to plan for their Gathering experience, so we needed to set requirements and procedures in place.

  • Rapid tests upon arrival will be provided.
  • During the event, rapid tests will be provided if deemed necessary by FGC staff due to exposures, symptoms. or positive cases.
  • Some masks will be available to those who have forgotten or run out, but plan to bring your own that are compliant with N-19, KN95, or KF94 standards.

  • PCR testing is the most accurate available test for COVID-19, and best at catching asymptomatic infections. However, it has become harder and harder to get PCR tests.
  • Rapid Antigen Tests are the most widely available tests and the most accessible.
  • RATs are less sensitive to asymptomatic infections due what they assess, so serial testing can increase their sensitivity, leading to a better chance of catching an early infection.

  • N95-rated respirators with straps around the head provide the best protection.
  • N95 & KN95 with ear loops provide good protection, but are more prone to leaks.
  • “Surgical” or “procedure” masks offer some protection, but leaks are a weakness. If they are the only available option, doubling up on masks may provide more protection.
  • Cloth masks and “gaiters” are ineffective and unsatisfactory.
  • Face shields may protect from respiratory droplets, but do not protect against or prevent the spread of airborne viral particles without a mask. In the case of some transparent plastic “masks”, they actually funnel exhalation up and out, allowing for further spread.

  • Wear a mask while obtaining food, then take the food outside to eat, while still considering physical distancing if possible. COVID transmission outside is much less likely.
  • Wear a mask while obtaining food, take it off to eat or drink promptly, and then replace your mask to socialize. If possible, leave the dining area to socialize.


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