COVID-19 Prevention

Prevention Protocols
Frequently Asked Questions

Updated Wednesday, January 18, 2023

New Integrated COVID-19 Prevention Protocols, effective April, 2022:

Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas (GSSWT) remains committed to keeping members of our council safe and healthy as we resume operations. Effective immediately, GSSWT is introducing new levels of COVID-19 prevention protocols based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) tracking of COVID-19 Community Levels of risk.

Please note: These protocols will vary based on a member’s county of residence/the county in which a Girl Scout activity is taking place. If there is a difference between the two, prevention protocols will be based on the county with the highest level of risk.

Regardless of a county’s community level of risk, individuals who feel ill or demonstrate any of the common symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and all Girl Scouts are always encouraged to practice good hand hygiene, minimize the use of shared materials, and take precautions when eating snacks or meals.

Determine your county’s COVID-19 Community Level of risk:

Visit the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker webpage.
Select Texas in the State or territory drop-down.
Select your county from the County or metro area drop-down.
The webpage will update to include information about your selected county, and COVID-19 Community Level of risk is indicated below.

Prevention Protocols

The protocols required for troops and communities are as follows, based on the respective county’s COVID-19 Community Level of risk. Please see the Questions and Answers section of this webpage for more details.

Level 1 (Low Risk)
- Face coverings are optional (regardless of vaccination status)
- Pre-pandemic approvals are required for the following activities:
  - Meeting in a private residence
  - High-risk activities
  - Day trips outside GSSWT’s service area
  - Overnight trips of one to two nights
  - Extended travel trips of three or more nights
  - International travel

To request approval for one of the above activities, submit a complete Activity and Trip Form.

Level 2 (Medium Risk)
- Face coverings are highly encouraged when:
  - You are indoors with girls or adults (regardless of vaccination status).
  - You are in a vehicle with girls or adults who are not of the same household (regardless of vaccination status).
  - For GSSWT staff members only: Face coverings are required in the above situations.
- Face coverings are optional when:
  - You are outdoors (regardless of vaccination status).
- Pre-pandemic approvals are required for the following activities:
  - Meeting in a private residence
  - High risk activities
  - Day trips outside GSSWT’s service area
  - Overnight trips of one to two nights
  - Extended travel trips of three or more nights
  - International travel

To request approval for one of the above activities, submit a complete Activity and Trip Form.

Level 3 (High Risk)
- Face coverings are required when:
  - You are indoors with girls or adults (regardless of vaccination status).
  - You are in a vehicle with girls or adults who are not of the same household (regardless of vaccination status).
- Face coverings are optional when:
  - You are outdoors (regardless of vaccination status).
- For overnight trips, troops/groups are required to reduce capacity for sleeping arrangements to 50 percent.
- Pre-pandemic approvals are required for the following activities:
  - Meeting in a private residence
  - High-risk activities
  - Day trips outside GSSWT’s service area
  - Overnight trips of one to two nights
  - Extended travel trips of three or more nights
  - International travel

To request approval for one of the above activities, submit a complete Activity and Trip Form.

Room Reservations

GSSWT is now accepting room reservations for the Sally Cheever leadership center for meetings scheduled during operating hours.

Please fill out the SCGSLC-Room Reservation form online to make a reservation. Note: The USAA Foundation Multi-Purpose Room is unavailable throughout the summer.

What will it take to slow the spread of COVID-19?
Wear a mask, wash your hands, practice physical distancing and get your vaccine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Are council events canceled?

No. GSSWT is working diligently to offer council-sponsored activities safely in person. We encourage you to visit our Events Calendar and follow us @GirlScoutsSWTX on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for exciting opportunities!

Are masks required?

GSSWT has introduced integrated protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 using the CDC’s tracking of COVID-19 Community Levels of risk by county. Required COVID-19 prevention protocols for Girl Scouts will vary by county based on a member’s county of residence/the county in which a Girl Scout event is taking place.
Please refer to the Prevention Protocols section of this webpage for details.

How do you define “county of residence” for the new integrated COVID-19 prevention protocols?

A registered girl or adult member’s county of residence is defined as the county you live in based on your home address on record with Girl Scouts. For troops/groups with members living in more than one county, co-leaders should define their troop’s county of residence using the address of the troop’s meeting place on record with Girl Scouts.
For example: A troop in Schertz may have members who reside in Bexar, Guadalupe, and Comal counties, but the troop meets at the Schertz Public Library. Therefore, the troop’s county of residence is Guadalupe County.

Can troops keep meeting? Is it OK for our girls to be interacting with each other?

Yes. GSSWT troops are welcome to meet and plan in-person events. However, GSSWT expects individuals who feel ill or demonstrate any of the common symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home. Volunteers and caregivers should ensure troops practice good hand hygiene, minimize the use of shared materials, and take precautions when eating snacks or meals, as well as follow the recommended COVID-19 prevention protocols based on their county of residence as tracked and reported by the CDC online.
Please refer to the Prevention Protocols section of this webpage for details.

Can troops meet in homes?

Yes, GSSWT is resuming pre-pandemic approvals for troops/groups to meet in a private residence. (Please refer to the Prevention Protocols section of this webpage for details.)
To receive approval to meet in a private residence, complete the Meet in Private Residence Application form online and please allow for 4 weeks for processing.

Is group size limited?

No. Troops and communities are welcome to plan in-person events with no limit on group size. However, GSSWT expects individuals who feel ill or demonstrate any of the common symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home. Volunteers and caregivers should ensure troops practice good hand hygiene, minimize the use of shared materials, and take precautions when eating snacks or meals, as well as follow the recommended COVID-19 prevention protocols based on their county of residence as tracked and reported by the CDC online.
Please refer to the Prevention Protocols section of this webpage for details.

Can girls still camp?

Yes. Volunteers are required to submit the online Activity and Trip Form to GSSWT for all overnight trips of one to two nights four weeks in advance. Individuals who feel ill or demonstrate any of the common symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home. Troops and communities planning an overnight campout should be prepared to practice good hand hygiene, minimize the use of shared materials, and take precautions when eating snacks or meals, as well as follow the recommended COVID-19 prevention protocols based on their county of residence as tracked and reported by the CDC online. Please refer to the Prevention Protocols section of this webpage for details.

If your troop’s/group’s county of residence COVID-19 Community Level of risk is Level 3 (High), troops/groups are required to reduce capacity for sleeping arrangements to 50 percent. Example: If sleeping in a four-man tent, only two girls per tent are allowed.

What if the COVID-19 community level of risk for our county of residence is different than a county we are visiting?

For day or overnight trips across county lines, volunteers and caregivers are expected to be aware of the COVID-19 community level of risk for your county of residence as well as your destination and follow the recommended COVID-19 prevention protocols based on the county with the highest level of risk.
For example, if your troop’s/group’s county of residence has a Community Level of risk of Level 2 (Medium) and your troop/group is traveling for a day or overnight trip to a county with a Community Level of risk of Level 1 (Low), your troop/group is required to follow the recommended guidelines for a Community Level of risk of Level 2 (Medium).
Please refer to the Prevention Protocols section of this webpage for details.

Can girls still travel?

All domestic and international travel with girls is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please note that if there is any girl travel scheduled to a U.S. Department of State “Level 3 – Reconsider Travel” location, the trip should immediately be canceled or re-routed. Travel with girls to any international location identified by the U.S. Department of State as “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” is never allowed. Volunteers are required to submit the online Activity and Trip Form to GSSWT for all extended travel of three or more nights six months in advance or for all international travel one year in advance.

Does Girl Scouts have any medical expertise?

While Girl Scouts strives to be a resource for girls and their caregivers, we do not have any medical expertise. However, we want to ensure that official guidance from reputable local, state, federal and global sources reach our volunteers and member families in a timely manner.

What we are experts on? Girls and their positive growth and development. You may find these articles from Girl Scouts of the USA’s Raising Awesome Girls series helpful: