Guidelines
for COVID-19 & respiratory illnesses

Updated: 8/24/2026

Considering the needs of the entire UFM community and the frequent presence of elderly and medically fragile individuals, the following guidelines are currently in place for UFM-hosted activities.

Vaccinations:

• We strongly encourage all who participate in UFM in-person worship or events to follow medical advice in order to stay on top of recommended vaccinations, including COVID-19) for respiratory illnesses.

When respiratory infections in the broader community are high or rising, additional preventative action includes: 

• Use a well-fitted N-95 mask (or comparable):

  • • When indoors in crowded areas    OR

    • If you have a medical condition or for any reason, you may be less able to fight an infection or tolerate the effects of one

• Singing indoors without masks is discouraged.

• Ventilation in the library is a challenge and mask wearing is recommended when more than a couple of people share this space.

• We should wear a mask if asked by others to do so for their safety.

At UFM, we try to provision N-95 masks on the counter outside the worship room. 

Hand-to-hand contact:

• The custom of shaking or holding hands at the rise of Meeting for Worship is considered low risk. Hand sanitizer is available at various locations on campus.

Symptomatic for respiratory illness:

• If you have symptoms that might be related to COVID-19 or another respiratory illness, or are recovering from such illness, please join us for 11AM worship on Zoom instead. 

Current information on the prevalence of respiratory illness in King County can be found here.

Since early 2020, University Friends Meeting has been monitoring the COVID-19-related situation and updating these guidelines as appropriate.