[updated June 1st, 2023]
Dear LP Community,
Over the past three years, we have handled the risks of COVID-19 and the weight of living within this uncertain environment in an extremely cautious manner, prioritizing the safety of our communities, most of whom have been hit the hardest by the lack of resources and timely information on how to survive (and thrive) during this global pandemic.
Early on, we made the hard decision to close our doors to the public until it was safe to reopen and we focused our energies on sharing local resources, expanding our digital platforms, and developing new strategies that would help La Peña be a stronger and more resilient institution in the future. Being a community-based cultural organization requires us to listen closely to the people that we are constantly working with, and during this time we made the decision to honor the concerns and requests of our elderly and immuno-compromised community members who, in addition to CDC and City of Berkeley recommendations, informed the safety protocols that we put in place back in 2021, which included medical-grade air purifiers working 24/7, vaccination requirement at the door, and KN-95 masks available in the space.
Now, we are finally at a point where the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency has officially ended (on May 11th, 2023), leading us to update our COVID-19 policy once again. We are grateful for the work of our medical authorities, healthcare workers, and direct action grassroots organizations, who are now able to provide more tools and resources than ever before to better protect ourselves and our communities from this virus and its consequences.
This is why, after careful consideration with board, staff and community input, we announce that our COVID-19 Safety Protocols are changing starting on June 1st, 2023:
- We won’t be requiring vaccination proof at the door anymore.
- Medical-grade air purifiers will continue to clean all of our rooms 24/7.
- Masks will continue to be available in the space for those who want one.
With these new protocols in place, we commit to reconnect, revitalize, and restore the relationships that have been missed for so long. We welcome all of our community members back into the space, no matter their vaccination status, and we look forward to sharing space at all of our events at La Peña with you! Thank you for your understanding and constant support throughout these times, and please reach out to us with any input, suggestions and/or concerns around our policy. We’ve missed you, and we look forward to having you back at La Peña! You can check out our upcoming events here.
With love,
LP Team.