Your safety is our biggest priority. As we've learned more about COVID-19 and the huge role social distancing can play in both reducing spread of the virus and in avoiding overwhelming our heath care system with an exponential spike in cases, we have decided that it's prudent to act early.
It's our shared responsibility to look out for our own and each others' wellbeing. We love dancing - and we know you do, too. Hopefully these actions will protect folks in our community so we can continue to dance with all the people we enjoy for years to come. We'll continue to assess the situation and get in touch later this month about whether or not it is safe to resume dancing in April.
Questions?
Read this FAQ and/or get in touch.
Q: There are no confirmed cases in Maine yet. Why cancel now?
A: There are currently 92 cases in Massachusetts, 1 in Vermont and 5 in New Hampshire. People travel regularly between Portland and spots like Boston, New York, New Hampshire and other New England areas for work and socialization (like dancing!). We're assuming the virus is already spreading here as it did in Washington State, where individuals who showed no symptoms infected others and the disease spread unknowingly before it was detected. Acting sooner than a visible outbreak means we can slow the spread and keep our healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
Q: But can't people who appear sick just stay home? And everyone else can use good hygiene?
A: Sure. And there are a number of PICD dancers who are healthy, yet more susceptible to severe symptoms of the virus due to age, sex, or their immune system. With a fatality rate that is likely somewhere between 3-5% and the reality that some dancers won't know they're infected and attend, contra dancing at this time is a risk that could significantly and negatively impact the most vulnerable of us. We've learned that social distancing can decrease the spread of COVID-19 by ten times. Not dancing seems like a relatively small inconvenience to protect our community.
Q: Gosh, this sounds serious! Am I okay?
A: We're not canceling dances this month because it's unsafe to go outside! This is about making measured decisions based on science: the number of attendees at an event x the amount those attendees touch = the amount this highly contagious virus can spread in a short period. Contra is high-touch! ;)
For practical tips on how to keep yourself safer at events, see our last blog post.
Q: When will we start dancing again?
A: Hopefully we'll resume dancing in April. We'll use our best judgment and will let everyone know in the coming weeks.
Q: Will the artists and series be okay financially? Anything I can do to help?
A: Without door admission income, PICD will be losing some money as we continue to pay fees and ongoing organizational expenses during the month that we incur whether or not we host events. If you can support PICD with a donation to fill that financial gap, we'd appreciate that. Donate here or buy some new PICD swag.
You can also support artists who would have performed this month by buying their merchandise. Here's some places to do just that (we'll post other opportunities in the PICD Facebook group when we become aware of them):
Neil Pearlman: http://neilpearlman.com/looklisten/
Bennett Konesni: https://www.patreon.com/worksongproject
Glen Loper: https://riptidedanceband.com/
