Retreat COVID-19 Protocols

Updated September 2024

We offer these protocols in the spirit of valuing all life as sacred. We hope these guidelines can keep us all safe and well as we come together to practice and overcome this time of collective challenge together. Protocols will continue to be updated as conditions change.

Vaccination

We require all retreatants to be vaccinated, unless they are not able to for health reasons.

Prior to Arrival at Dhamma Dena

1. In the week before your arrival at Dhamma Dena, please practice great care to remain uninfected. Wear a N95/KN95 mask when in crowded indoor public spaces. If you are traveling by plane, please keep your mask on during the flight.

2. Please also bring two at-home rapid COVID-19 tests with you. (If you cannot afford a test kit, we will have tests available for you to use.)

Symptoms

If you are sick or experiencing the symptoms of a COVID infection, please wait until your symptoms fully resolve and you are testing negative before coming to Dhamma Dena. Symptoms of COVID-19 commonly appear 2-3 days before a positive test result. At this time, COVID-19 symptoms include one or more of the following:

• Fever (greater than 100.4º F or 38º C)

• Chills or shaking

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Runny nose or sinus congestion

• Diarrhea

• Muscle pain or body aches

• Headache

• Unusual fatigue

• Eye redness with or without discharge

• Nausea or vomiting

Arrival at Dhamma Dena

When you arrive at Dhamma Dena, you will be asked to take a rapid COVID-19 rapid test. We will have staff available to support you with how to take your test if needed. Teachers and staff will also participate in testing protocols.

While at Dhamma Dena

Depending on the levels of infection at the time of your retreat, masking will be either required or optional inside the common areas. For some retreats, masking will be required only for the first two days, followed by a second rapid test, and then if everyone tests negative on the second test, masking will then be optional for the rest of the retreat.

• Common areas will be ventilated by cracking a window or door and/or having a functioning air purifier. 

• There will be outdoor tables available for eating meals, which retreatants are encouraged to use. 

• The Zendo (meditation hall) is indoors and tight quarters when a retreat is full. There will be the option to join most of the meditations outside the Zendo on the porch.

• If you start to develop any Covid symptoms please let us know and begin masking right away.

In the Event of a COVID-19 Infection

If anyone tests positive for COVID-19 while on retreat, they will need to move to quarantine accommodations and possibly to make arrangements to leave Dhamma Dena.  We're very sorry that we may not have the capacity for you to stay and quarantine here at Dhamma Dena. The teachers and other retreat participants would be informed that there was a positive test result. We would not cancel the retreat for the remaining participants but (depending on timing) would implement a fresh round of rapid tests.