Back on March 3, we encouraged you to make your spring and summer plans "with an awareness that Circus Center may change our mask policy in the coming weeks."

And here we are.

Since before the pandemic, our policy has been to follow the health policies of the SF Unified School District (SFUSD). SFUSD has already dropped the mask requirement for middle and high schools, and they are dropping it district-wide (students and staff) on 4/2.

Therefore, Circus Center will drop our mask requirement for our adult programs (including classes, private lessons, and individual user training) starting Saturday, April 9 – that is, one week after SFUSD drops its mandate.

There is one significant exception to this: the youth programs (SFYC and youth classes) have decided to keep their masks on until the end of the session in late May. Therefore, the building will be 100% masked on weekdays 4-6pm; the rest of the time, masks for adult students/customers will be optional.

Masks will still be strongly encouraged, and they will always be welcomed at Circus Center. Our vaccination requirement for all patrons 12+ will also remain in effect.

A new Omicron variant is on the rise, and its potential impacts are yet unknown, especially in the wake of Spring Break and the subsequent return to (masking-optional) schools. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and follow the orders, directives, and guidance from the San Francisco Department of Public Health and SFUSD.

National, state, and local COVID protocols and orders are changing rapidly. The CDC has recommended much looser mask mandates. The state of California has announced a first-in-the-nation plan to treat COVID-19 as endemic – a persistent health risk requiring ongoing prevention and management efforts.

San Francisco took big steps in this direction with the revised health order that took effect on February 16. The order for after-school programs provided more leeway for mask removal for young people who were “up to date” on their vaccinations, including the booster when eligible. Moreover, the general order confirms that Circus Center could permit people who are “Vaccinated with a Complete Initial Series” (i.e., no booster required at this time) to remove their masks.

Before the pandemic, in response to the first major business disruptions created by wildfire smoke, Circus Center adopted a tacit policy of taking our cues about the health and safety of our children and other students from the SF Unified School District (SFUSD). Although SF schools still require 100% indoor masking, the city is generally expected to announce new rules about mask usage in schools in the coming days.

So, for now, we wait. We hold the most vulnerable among us at the center of our decision-making, and we take our time. Masks will stay on in the adult program, with limited class-by-class exceptions, through at least the end of the winter session (March 27). Masks will remain on in the youth program at least that long as well, and probably until the end of the school year.

Regardless of whether you are ready to rip your mask off ASAP or you still want as much masking as possible for now, the coming weeks and months will be a really big moment for all of us! Circus Center will not pivot quickly, thereby forcing anyone to move too fast along this path – and masks will always be welcome without question at Circus Center.

At the same time, since our classes and camps are popular and we sell far in advance, it is now time to encourage you to make your purchases with an awareness that Circus Center may change our mask policy in the coming weeks. Therefore:

• Adult Students
  • If you would not be comfortable taking class around maskless vaccinated students, please consider skipping Spring 2022 Full Session Enrollment in favor of our more flexible Drop-In Registration option.
  • We have no plans to drop or change our vaccination requirement for students ages 12+.
• Summer Camp Families
  • We have no plans to drop or change our vaccination requirement for students ages 12+.
  • We currently plan to require all campers to show either proof of vaccination or a negative test result (home antigen test is fine) taken no more than two days before the start of camp. The exact definition of vaccination will be defined according to current public health orders.
  • If you would not be comfortable sending your child to a camp where vaccinated/negative children were permitted to remove their masks, then please consider waiting to enroll in our camps until the new SF schools guidance becomes available.
  • If you purchased a summer camp spot already: We will offer you a one week opportunity to make changes to your enrollment, including full refund without penalty. Please email your request to info@circuscenter.org, now through March 9 only. After that, our usual cancellation policies will apply, and refunds will not be offered for any reason, including COVID policy, exposure, or illness.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Thank you for being part of this community as we continue to weather this storm together.