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COVID-19 Policies WEBhero LARGE

COVID-19 Girl Scout Updates

LATEST COVID GUIDELINES ARE HERE
COVID-19 Waiver & Participation Agreement (#1081) (fillable online)
COVID-19 Waiver & Participation Agreement (#1081) (print only)

SUMMER CAMP UPDATES ARE HERE ("GSVSC Camp COVID-19 Plans & Procedures")

Working Together to Keep Our Girl Scout Community Safe
Updated: April 5, 2022

Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline members and staff remain committed to providing our girls the consistency of Girl Scouts during these times of uncertainty. Whether gathering virtually or in-person, safety remains our cornerstone.

This information is updated in response to any significant changes in our communities related to COVID-19; therefore, the phases and guidelines are subject to future changes.

Council is the first source for information on COVID-19 specific guidelines and restrictions for Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts should always follow the guidance of their local council. The council has adopted a phased approach to guide safe gathering. We recognize that our council spans many jurisdictions with ever-changing COVID-related decisions. Therefore, if local county/city government guidelines are more restrictive than the council guidelines, Girl Scouts are expected to follow the local county/city government’s guidelines (e.g., group size limits, mask use, social distancing, or travel restrictions) where Girl Scout activities are being carried out. To check current state government guidelines from surrounding areas, please visit:

District of Columbia
Maryland
North Carolina
Virginia
West Virginia
Tennessee
Georgia

We will continue to monitor local and national directives, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Virginia Department of Health. The guidance we provide is intended to be used in conjunction with Safety Activity Checkpoints in accordance with our council’s individual state and local COVID-19 circumstances which remain fluid. If updates from sources such as Girl Scouts of the USA, the governor’s office, Virginia Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control or National Institutes of Health lead to changes in our evaluation of the situation, then we will communicate via our website, The Girl Scout Connections digital e-newsletter, and social media.

The council is currently operating in Phase V. If other variants or guidance warrants it, the council may move back to phase IV, III, II, or phase I.

Please review these updates regarding COVID-19. These guidelines will remain in place until further notice.  

Council Phases: Operating in Phase V

COVID-19 Phase V (Overview)

KEY REVISIONS
Individuals are not required to be vaccinated to participate in Girl Scouting unless required by other entities (e.g., venues, facilities, public transportation, and/or by state, tribal, local, and territorial governments.) Note: Girl Scout activities that involve travel may require proof of vaccinations based on destination or mode of transportation.

Masking and social distancing are optional for most in-person Girl Scouting activities. See Masks & Social Distancing section for specific details. There are different masking and social distance guidelines for the 2022 Girl Scout Cookie Program and 2022 GSVSC Summer Camps. See 2022 Girl Scout Cookie Program guidelines and “Summer Camp” section for complete details.

ELIMINATIONS
NO routine COVID pre-screening temperature checks and pre-screening forms;  [NEW] #1081 COVID-19 Waiver Participation Agreement; replaces other pre-screening forms . Must submit for each participant (adult and youth), once per membership year, and retained with troop/group and/or service unit records. (#1081 is not required to be collected for in-person council-sponsored or service unit program, event, gathering, or training when pre-registration is required and there is record of attendance and participation).

NO COVID restrictions for indoor/outdoor gathering sizes. Follow normal venue facility capacity limits. Refer to the Safety Guidelines in Volunteer Essentials for the Girl Scout girl-to-adult ratios for proper supervision.

NO COVID restrictions for overnights, sleeping accommodations, and shared spaces. See ”Sleeping & Bathroom Accommodations“ for council policy and procedures for specific sleeping and bathroom accommodation guidelines.

NO COVID travel duration restrictions for local day, overnight, regional and national travel activities. Volunteers and girls are to review the Travel/Trips Safety Activity Checkpoints, and consult the destination's COVID-19 community levels before traveling. State, country, tribal, local, and territorial governments may have travel restrictions in place. When traveling regionally or nationally, plan to include additional adult volunteers above the current ratios in case of a COVID-19 exposure or positive COVID-19 test while traveling. See “Guidelines for Girl Scout Meetings, Activities, Programs & Travel” for specific Girl Scout guidelines.

NO COVID vaccination restrictions for extended regional and national travel activities. Local day, overnight, regional and national travel/trips are permitted without vaccinations unless required by the destination’s venues, facilities, public transportation, and/or by state, tribal, local, and territorial governments. Volunteers and girls are to review the Travel/Trips Safety Activity Checkpoints, and consult the destination's COVID-19 community levels before traveling. State, tribal, local, and territorial governments may have travel restrictions in place. See “Guidelines for Girl Scout Meetings, Activities, Programs & Travel” for specific Girl Scout guidelines.

REDUCTIONS
Carpooling, transporting Girl Scouts, and public transportation are permitted; recommend masking and social distancing when possible. Masking required when traveling to and from summer day or overnight camp. See “Transportation Guidelines“ and “Summer Camp” section for specific Girl Scout guidelines.

PERMITTED
International travel* (including cruises) on a limited basis. Tentative approval will be given for international travel that occurs after May 1, 2022. *At least one year prior to trip departure, volunteers must have completed GSVSC GS 203 International Trip Training and a council-approved Intent to Travel for International Trips (#2279) must be on file at council. 

  • Girl Scouts DO NOT travel to any locations ranked “Level 4: Do Not Travel” by the U.S. Department of State (even if the ranking is solely based on COVID-19 risk).
  • Groups must obtain special permission from their local council to travel to locations ranked “Level 3: Reconsider Travel.”
  • Troop/groups must have alternative plans should international travel activities not be approved or have to be postponed or canceled. Strongly recommend purchase of travel insurance, specifically Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) insurance.
  • [New] GSUSA has indicated no further extensions can be given to extend the use of troop funds for all members who are graduating high school in 2022, or graduated in 2021/2020. All members who are graduating high school in 2022, or graduated in 2021/2020, should work out a plan to spend down their funds before their girl membership expires on 9/30/22.
  • Additional supervision above and beyond the adult-to-girl ratio may be required in case of a COVID-19 exposure or positive COVID-19 test while traveling.
  • Volunteers and girls are to review the Travel/Trips Safety Activity Checkpoints and consult each destination’s COVID-19 guidelines.
  • Approval for cruise ship travel will be based on CDC Cruise Ship Travel during COVID-19 guidance & Cruise Ship Status Dashboard statuses. Cruise must be rated Green or Yellow for council approval.
  • Vaccinations/proof of vaccinations may be required based on destination. Country, tribal, local, and territorial governments may have additional travel restrictions in place. See “Guidelines for Girl Scout Meetings, Activities, Programs & Travel” for specific international/cruise ship travel Girl Scout guidelines.

REQUIRED
All participants (adult and youth) to submit of a [NEW] ONE-TIME #1081 COVID-19 Waiver Participation Agreement, per membership year. See form for specific instructions and detail.

All participants follow COVID mitigation and preventive guidance as indicated by the CDC. See COVID-19 Exposure Mitigation Guidelines for details.

All participants follow separate guidelines for 2022 Girl Scout Cookie Program.

All participants follow separate guidelines for 2022 summer camp (subject to change prior to first day of camp).

NEW CHANGES
VDH has refocused its contact tracing efforts. Volunteers are able to handle reports of COVID-19 positive tests or known exposures. See “Reporting a COVID-19 Positive Test or Known Exposure” for specific guidelines.

GSUSA has indicated no further extensions can be given to extend the use of troop funds for all members who are graduating high school in 2022, or graduated in 2021/2020. All members who are graduating high school in 2022, or graduated in 2021/2020, should work out a plan to spend down their funds before their girl membership expires on 9/30/22. (This is because all funds earned on behalf of Girl Scouts must be used to support girls’ experiences within Girl Scouts; it cannot be used to support adult experiences, and members transition out of girl membership the September after they graduate from high school. Due to COVID, limited extensions were previously made for girls who graduated in 2020 and 2021 to extend use of funds, but no further extensions are permissible.

Vaccination FAQ

Now that all adults are permitted to receive the COVID-19 vaccination in Virginia, are volunteers required to be vaccinated before they can meet in person with girls?

Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and GSVSC strongly encourages, but does not require vaccination or boosters for volunteers. State laws and policies may vary from council to council. As of now, the COVID-19 vaccines are not mandatory for Virginians, and there are no legal penalties for refusing it. The decision to vaccinate is a personal decision individual adults must make for themselves. However, we reserve the right to limit or exclude participation based on vaccination status for activities that may pose a higher risk.

Can parents/caregivers ask about the vaccination status of volunteers?

While parents/caregivers may certainly ask, volunteers are under no obligation to disclose their personal vaccination status. Also, under no circumstances should a volunteer discuss the personal healthcare decisions of another volunteer or girl with anyone.

Can parents/caregivers or volunteers ask about the vaccination status of council staff and camp staff?

While parents/caregivers may certainly ask and [GSVSC] strongly encourages all council staff members and camp staff to be vaccinated and boosted, council staff or volunteers are under no obligation to disclose their personal vaccination status. Under no circumstances should one staff member discuss the personal healthcare decisions of another staff member with anyone. However, a council may disclose whether it has strongly recommended COVID-19 vaccinations for its staff.

Can parents/caregivers ask other parents/caregivers about the vaccination status of girls in the troop?

Parents/caregivers are certainly free to discuss vaccinations with other parents/caregivers when both parties are open to that conversation. However, parents/caregivers should not feel obligated to share personal medical information if they choose to maintain their privacy in the matter. GSVSC encourages parents/caregivers to respect the privacy of the girls and other adults in their girl’s troop or group.

Once vaccinations for children are available, can councils or troop leaders require girls to be vaccinated before they attend in-person activities?

Councils are encouraged to stay abreast of state regulations and the protocols that are practiced in public schools and use that information to inform their policies. As of now, the COVID-19 vaccines may not be mandatory for Virginians, and there are no legal penalties for refusing it, but the Virginia Department of Health is urging individuals to be vaccinated and boosted. Vaccines are an important tool to help stop the COVID-19 pandemic. Girl Scouts cannot require families, girls or volunteers to vaccinate. The decision to vaccinate is a personal decision volunteers and families must make for their girls and individual adults must make for themselves. However, we reserve the right to limit or exclude participation based on vaccination status for activities that pose a higher risk.

Once someone is vaccinated, do they have to continue to practice the safety protocols as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), such as social distancing, washing their hands frequently, and wearing a mask?

As directed by GSUSA, GSVSC will continue to practice and expect all members to follow the GSVSC COVID-19 guidelines when and where required.

Additional Girl Scout COVID-19 Resources
Questions/Need Assistance

QUESTIONS/NEED ASSISTANCE
If you have questions or need further assistance, please reach out to us at info@gsvsc.org or 540-777-5100. If you have an emergency after hours, then please call the emergency number at 1-540-598-0974. Your call will be answered by a GSVSC staff member.