COVID-19 Important Updates

The safety and welfare of our girls is Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia’s top priority. We are hearing from our community, and many families and volunteers are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in our state. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. We will be adding frequently asked questions to this page as they arise.

Check out Virtual Programs for fun Girl Scout activities to do at home!

Need help explaining the situation to your children? Here's how to talk to your kids about coronavirus.

If you have questions, please email customercare@gshg.org or call 1-888-689-1912.

For a printable version of Covid-19 Guidance, click HERE.
These guidelines were updated Febraury 2022.

Can our troop meet in person?

GSHG continues to follow CDC Guidelines for COVID-19. The current guidelines stress knowing your community’s current levels:

Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
COVID-19 Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. Take precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on the COVID-19 Community Level in your area.

You can check your county’s current community level by using this CDC COVID-19 by county website tool. Depending on if your community level, you should follow these precautions:

What Prevention Steps Should You Take Based on Your COVID-19 Community Level?

Community Burden Levels

Low Levels

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
Get tested if you have symptoms

Medium Levels

If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions
Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
Get tested if you have symptoms

Large Levels

Wear a mask indoors in public
Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
Get tested if you have symptoms
Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness

Currently, many of the counties in GSHG’s footprint have low or medium community levels, which means masking is not required in indoor spaces. There are some high counties, too, though and this is a constantly changing situation. We all need to remain vigilant and careful. Check the tool frequently – it’s fast and easy - and act accordingly with all you do in Girl Scouts. Everyone’s personal situations and comfort levels are unique, and anyone may be wearing a mask at any time to protect themselves and others. Remember to be respectful and considerate when it comes to masking and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

What if our troop can't find a place to meet in person?

Some of you have shared that your meeting locations are limiting troop meeting size or not allowing troop meetings at this time. For that reason, council properties (to include most of our office buildings) are available for troop meetings at no cost. Reservations can be made by completing this form and returning to reservations@gshg.org.

For your convenience and planning, the number of individuals who can safely meet (per GSHG COVID-19 In-Person Troop or Group Meeting Guidelines above) inside a building/room at each of our properties is available here. Please understand these measurements are based on people standing with 6 feet apart. Troop leaders will need to go to the meeting space in advance and plot out the layout for your troop to safely meet.

Outside meetings at Council properties are also an option and provide more space for larger troops.

Can we meet virtually?

Stay tuned to our council website and social media for other virtual program opportunities developed by our Program team.

Get the virtual meeting playbook here to make the most of your virtual troop meetings and events!

While we cannot endorse or support specific online meeting tools for your use, see below for a list of free and low-cost tools that could be useful to you.

Video and Audio-Conferencing Tools with free versions

While all of these options have a free version, please note you may be prompted to consider their upgraded versions for a subscription fee.

Zoom - FAQ
Note: Meetings durations maximum of 40 minutes in free version
Skype - Support
Note: Up to 10 participants free
Webex – Help Center
Note: Limited file and content sharing in free version

Chat and Collaboration Tools with free versions

Additional low-cost tools for collaboration and conferencing to consider if the above options do not meet your group's needs.

GoToMeeting - Support
Google Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet - Support

What steps can girls and volunteers take to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

Please remember that the best protection is self-protection and self-monitoring, especially in this flu season. Health officials recommend the following measures to minimize your risk of contracting any virus:

Wash hands frequently especially after sneezing, shaking hands/bodily contact with another individual, and before eating. Use soap and water for 20 seconds or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching the eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick – health officials call this “social distancing” and recommend staying about three feet away from someone who is sick.
You should stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19. For all of the scenarios found here, even if you test negative for COVID-19 or feel healthy, you should stay home (quarantine) since symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like your phone or computer.
Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing then throw the tissue in the trash, or as a last resort cough into the elbow
Get plenty of sleep, good nutrition, stress-relief, and exercise – a healthy body is the best defense against illness.
For the latest information, please consult the CDC website.

We talked with Dr Jayne Morgan, Clinical Director of the COVID Task Force for Piedmont Healthcare Corporation, to answer question about COVID and the vaccine. Watch below!

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