Page 11 - C.A.L.L. #46 - Summer 2020

Twin Oaks, USA

Valerie Renwick
April 16th

Twin Oaks is weathering the pandemic relatively well so far.

--We have significantly quarantined ourselves from the outside world. We have cancelled our
visitor programs, no guests are allowed to come, and only essential trips off-the-farm

(emergency medical needs, urgent business needs, bulk food trips with no luxury items only
basics). As far as we know, no-one is sick, and it's been exactly 1 month that we have been in
quarantine

--we are allowing a very few people to come in (ex-members, previously-accepted new
members) only if they quarantine according to our standards for 2 weeks immediately
beforehand. Eventually it will be a problem that we aren't having visitors, for they are our
lifeblood. We will cross that bridge as more unfolds around the coming "waves" of the
pandemic.

--We are focussing on keeping the
virus out of the cmty, since we share
so much (no individual houses, very few
kitchens) it will be much harder once
it is inside the cmty

--our most vulnerable members are
further quarantined in one of our
residences. No one can enter, and we
bring them foodstuffs to cook with
(which sits for a day or two after we
drop it off before they touch it)

--we have prepared one residence as a place to quarantine sick people if that happens

--our Community Planner group and our Health Team (7 people total) are dealing with a lot of
the community administration and decision-making about our practices. They meet everyday
and we have a community meeting about the pandemic every week or two to clarify
information/decisions, and gather input about future decisions.

--significantly, life continues as ever. I'd say about 85% of life here is as it usually is
(working in the garden, making tofu and hammocks for our cmty businesses, cooking and

eating together at our dining hall, we are mostly not doing social distancing internally) and
15% is different (no visitors, no snack-food runs to town, etc.)

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