The VIUF Covenant calls upon us to preserve the safety of our community and to commit to policies and actions which preserve a safe environment. The commitment to safety includes physical health as well as spiritual and mental health.

We believe in science and deeply appreciate the benefits that modern medicine provides us in the prevention and treatment of disease, noting that prevention is usually preferable to treatment.

We are grateful for the ability of vaccines to prevent or ameliorate infectious disease. We strongly support the use of vaccination to protect the individual and the community. We encourage all members and friends of VIUF to take advantage of all appropriate vaccines including those to prevent contagious diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, hepatitis, influenza, and covid.

VIUF will follow the guidance of federal, state and local health authorities regarding contagious disease. This includes guidance on wearing masks to decrease airborne transmission, hand washing and sanitizing to decrease contact transmission of disease, and other guidelines such as water and food standards. 

Members and friends with symptoms of contagious illness are expected to stay home, take care of themselves, and not expose others in our community. During epidemic or pandemic disease activity in the community, members, friends and guests may be required to wear a well fitting mask or take other precautions even if they are themselves symptom free.