COVID Safety Protocols

Misson
Our first priority is to protect the health of everyone who comes to the Garchen Institute, including our monastic community, practitioners, staff, residents and teachers.
The Garchen Institute welcomes people from within the U.S. and from around the world to participate in our retreats. Our intention is to include as many people as possible.

Safety Protocols
The following are the Institute’s fundamental required safety protocols:

• Negative COVID-19 Test: All retreat participants must agree to test for COVID ( preferably a PCR test ) 2 days before traveling to the institute and send registration@garchen.net the results. This will hopefully inform everyone of their status before the expense of travel and the possibility of being denied entry to the event. Everyone will take an antigen test on the arrival day of each event. Commuting participants ( if applicable ) will be tested daily during the allotted time window. Individuals will not be admitted to the retreat if the test result is positive for COVID.
• N95 or KN95 Masks Required in the temple with Garchen Rinpoche: Masks will be optional in other spaces & we support your diligence in self care. We are requiring the proper wearing of N95 or KN95 masks in the temple with Garchen Rinpoche, which are proven to better filter aerosolized particles than cloth or three-ply disposable masks. We will supply you with an appropriate mask. Masks are not required in other indoor spaces or outside.  Added ventilation has been added to ease the discomfort & help diminish the risks of gathering in this manner.
• Surface Cleaning: Sanitizing of all high touch areas will be conducted a minimum of twice daily and hand sanitizing stations will be placed in convenient locations across campus.
• Dining: We will offer both indoor & outdoor options for dining.
• Physical Distancing in the Temple: Cushions and chairs will be arranged to maintain physical distancing in the temple.
• Sick Policy: If a practitioner becomes sick, they will be asked to remain in their room, and if serious, return home. We will also ask them to take an antigen self-test onsite, and if they test positive for COVID-19, they must exit the retreat. Please note that if you are sharing a room or indoor camping, special arrangements will need to be made if a member of the group tests positive