September 2023

Season 2023-2024 – Choirs and combating viruses

(revised)

When we were hit with COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, BCCF worked hard on finding resources, advice, and hope for member choirs across the province. Some of those resources are archived below, including the most recent, from summer 2022: Re-Starting Your Choir.

As we launch the 2023-2024 season, many of the questions remain the same – and we have to offer similar responses:  the BCCF cannot tell you what you should do with your choir – we can only point out some discussion issues, and leave it to each choir to make individual decisions.

There is no longer any provincial mandate either for masking or for vaccines. If that changes, then we, like everyone else, need to follow that mandate.  Many choirs are just continuing as normal; others have more anxiety, and may be asking members to maintain vaccine use – older singers and immune-compromised people are having to make decisions based on their comfort-level, and that may mean that they have membership rules around that.

Brian Conway, who heads up the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, says that unless another bad variant appears, we have to just learn to live with COVID – as we do with colds, flu, RSV etc.

With my own choir, we have several people who are anxious, and who prefer to mask for rehearsal and performance, and I encourage them to do what makes them feel better. We do not ask for vaccine status, but we do ask people to do their own self-check before rehearsal, and if they’re not sure, we ask them to mask and/or sit apart and/or attend rehearsal on Zoom. We continue to be aware of ventilation and spacing.

Three tiers to consider

• protecting ourselves from others – so we mask, or we sit apart, or we Zoom in on a rehearsal, or we don’t attend at all
• protecting others from ourselves – so we do our health checks before rehearsal, and don’t attend if there’s anything that might infect someone else
• the question is whether we need to protect others from others, or whether we assume that they are responsible adults, taking one or the other actions above.  We have to decide whether we police behaviour or whether we respect each other’s ability to make good decisions.

By now most of us have some degree of immunity to COVID, whether from exposure or from vaccine. But all those other viruses are still around, and will occur more frequently as the fall leads people to gather inside rather than outside.  The decisions made by a seniors’ choir may be different from those made by a youth choir, for instance, and BCCF is not able to make a one-fits-all recommendation. At the height of the pandemic, the restrictions we offered were important for all of us; now all we can do is say, talk to your people, and use common-sense!

Best wishes for this season, and please feel free to contact me if you have questions about any of the above or about protective choir protocols.

Brigid

Brigid Coult
BCCF Project Manager

RE-STARTING YOUR CHOIR – some F.A.Qs – Click here for an. updated document as of August 5, 2022

Over the past few months, the BC Choral Federation has received many queries from members regarding a potential timeline for the resumption of rehearsals and performances in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reality is that we do not (and will not) have concrete answers until more scientific research is available. As each choir and its choristers are unique, there is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be recommended at this time. We strongly encourage BC’s ensembles to do their research and due diligence when assessing their individual circumstances and risk tolerance for a path forward. Make sure to keep confirmation bias in check and listen to health authorities. And, above all: be kind, be calm, and be safe.

Here’s the latest as of March 10, 2022: What does the “end of the mask mandate” mean for choirs?

PDF RESOURCES

Singing Safely Resources

Running a Hybrid Rehearsal

Mask Mandate Lifted

Singing Safely Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

BEST PRACTICES

The actual wording of the Provincial Health Order calls for verifying every customer’s proof of vaccination when they enter a business or event, and it applies to many categories, including indoor organized group recreational classes and activities with more than 50 people – for example, pottery studios, art classes or choir rehearsals.

The BC Choral Federation encourages all choirs to follow provincial mandates, but would suggest that this should not be restricted only to large choirs. We know that singers emit more aerosols and droplets in the course of singing than others do in talking, and we recommend choirs of all sizes follow best practices in this matter, even where the provincial wording does not specifically require it

• double vaccination for all participants
• masking during rehearsals
• physical distancing
• singing in a well-ventilated space, or singing for shorter periods

at least until the COVID numbers decline significantly.

The requirement applies to all people born in 2009 or earlier (12+) and covers the following events, services and businesses – including indoor choir concerts and choir rehearsals:

• Indoor ticketed sporting events
• Indoor concerts, theatre, dance and symphony events
• Licensed restaurants and restaurants that offer table service (indoor and patio dining)
• Pubs, bars and lounges (indoor and patio dining)
• Nightclubs, casinos and movie theatres
• Gyms, exercise facilities/studios, pools and recreation facilities
• Businesses offering indoor group exercise
• Indoor adult group and team sports for people 22 years old or older
• Indoor organized events with 50 or more people. For example: Wedding receptions, organized parties, conferences and workshops
• Indoor organized group recreational classes and activities like pottery, art and choir
• Post-secondary on-campus student housing

The BCCF wishes to pass along the following response, received on August 6, 2021 in response to a request for clarification/advice on group singing from British Columbia’s Provincial Health Officer:

Dear Willi Zwozdesky:

Thank you for your emails of July 2, and 28, 2021, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. I am responding on behalf of Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer. I apologize for the delay in communication.

I appreciate the time you have taken to write with your concerns. As you may know, speaking and singing lead to the release of large respiratory droplets, which are the primary route of transmission for COVID-19. However, the forceful exhalations associated with loud singing can result in greater numbers of particles being released. As a result, the risk of COVID-19 transmission is increased when people are singing together in-person. This is especially true for large groups, spaces that do not allow for adequate physical distancing, such as a private residence, indoor venues with poor ventilation, and when microphones, music stands, or music binders are shared. When singing or playing instruments with others, use your judgement and consider your own health and the health of those in your group. There are things we can do to make singing safer and they include:

• Anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID or who has symptoms of COVID-19 should not participate in choir activities in-person.
• Public health recommends that people who are more likely to experience complications of COVID-19 – including older adults – avoid singing with others in-person, especially in larger groups.
• Singing outdoors is best, or in a large indoor space with good ventilation.
• Avoid sharing equipment; if sharing must occur, clean and disinfect between users.
• Reduce the duration of indoor singing. Have practice intervals followed by breaks to allow rooms to ventilate. The longer the duration of a practice where people are in close proximity, the greater the chance of transmission.
• Make sure the social aspects of choir or band rehearsals are adapted for COVID-19 precautions. Don’t bring or share food, opt out of physical greetings (like hugs or handshakes), and keep adequate physical distance during breaks.

Easing restrictions and moving into the later Phases of BC’s Restart relies on many factors, such as national and international case counts, vaccine uptake, community immunity, and hospital capacity. Regarding your question about singing in choirs during Phase 3 of BC’s Restart and beyond, at this time we are unable to provide greater clarity beyond what has already been stated publicly. The measures implemented during the pandemic are fluid, dependent upon the factors previously mentioned and we cannot predict what measures will still be necessary even a short time in the future. I understand this can make it difficult to make plans for the future, however, right now our focus should remain on continuing to adhere to all public health measures and taking personal precautions to protect our own health and safety. To stay updated with the most current orders and restrictions, I welcome you to visit the Province-wide Restrictions webpage here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restrictions.

There is no question that what we do today directly influences the well-being of our communities tomorrow, so let us continue to do our part to protect ourselves and each other – each day and every day.

I appreciate the opportunity to respond, and hope you find this information helpful.

Sincerely,

Thomas Guerrero
Executive Director
Patient and Client Relations
Corporate Issues and Client Relations
Ministry of Health

June 19, 2021

Greetings all!

Following British Columbia’s move into Step 2 of re-opening on June 15, there has been a resurgence of questions coming to the BCCF about choral singing and our long-anticipated return to being able to sing together in person. I share your concerns and intend to reach out to Dr. Bonnie Henry for a meeting or statement in early July, following the July 1 re-opening announcement and, of course, the pandemic result of the next 15 days.

As much as we would all like to get into post-pandemic ‘normal’, the reality is that we are not there yet. We know that it takes about 10 days to see the impact, positive or negative, of lifting the restrictions.  Thus, things pretty much remain the status quo for choirs in BC. We need to stay safe and wait and see. Medical professionals  are working diligently to monitor vaccination progress and the impact of the virus. It all takes time and requires patience.

The guidance the BCCF offers is to adhere strictly to the provincial guidelines. This position has been consistent throughout the pandemic, and as a provincial agency ourselves, we follow the provincial rules. We all know that there is no certainty whatsoever in the current period. At the same time, individual choirs have been making their own decisions, based on the risk aversion/tolerance and judgement of their leadership. Those decisions are theirs alone; the BCCF has no formal role in what individual choirs choose to do in regard of their own re-opening.

Simultaneously, vaccination is massively assisting with turning the tide. We should absolutely be encouraging all singers to get vaccinated with a view to making in-person rehearsal possible. This is something we need to do at this time as leaders and advocates for choral singing.

For more on this topic, I encourage you to visit the BCCF website COVID Resources for Choirs and the BC Centre for Disease Control. And for a thorough refresher, please check out this extensive article from the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health.

This is a challenging time for singers everywhere. Rest assured that the BCCF is closely monitoring this and there is indeed movement to support our choirs.  Please stay safe and do not rush headlong into a bad decision. We have waited this long – surely another few weeks will benefit us in moving forward with greater certainty.

Yours in the BCCF,

Willi Zwozdesky
BCCF Executive Director

To aid you in making more informed decisions, we have posted a few resources below. We reserve the right to add and subtract resources from this list as additional information and context becomes available.

Health Info from the BC Centre for Disease Control

The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has recently released a very short bulletin on musical activities, including choral singing, in the time of COVID-19. It can be viewed here.

The BCCDC has also released a bulletin for Faith-Based Choirs, which contains additional information which may be useful depending on the format of your ensemble. It can be viewed here.

Resources from Choral Canada

Click here to view an ever-evolving collection of COVID-19 resources from Choral Canada.

International Performing Arts Aerosol Study

Here’s a study commissioned by a number of performing arts organizations worldwide, examining the effects of COVID-19 and associated risks with a return to the classroom, rehearsal and performance hall. Particularly, the aerosol rates produced by wind instrumentalists, vocalists, and actors, and their rate of accumulation in a space. Results of the third report have just been released.

Study on Aerosols from University of Colorado

Includes findings on effectivity of face shields, masks, etc.

Ventilation and COVID-19 transmission

Key messages from the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health.

Constructing masks for singers

Learn about the science behind singer masks, and special considerations when it comes to design and materials.