COVID and SAL at COP26
The United Nations (UN) climate talks (COPs) happen annually. However, every five years there is an assessment of countries’ progress toward the emissions reduction goal. At that COP, each country is expected to increase its national commitment to making the reductions needed to reach that goal. COP26, five years after Paris, was to be such a COP. It was cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.
Because of the urgency to increase national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the UN pushed to hold the COP, in 2021, in person, knowing it would be difficult because of COVID. Many people would be unable to attend because their home countries were without resources for vaccinations (another story of racism that won’t be told here for reasons of brevity) and because of racist visa policies in the United Kingdom. This was in addition to the general lack of resources and the health risks posed by traveling and participating in a large conference during COVID.
It was uncertain until May 2021 if COP26 would happen in person in Glasgow (Scotland). Prior to that, the Sustaining All Life/United to End Racism (SAL/UER) delegation had held several meetings on whether or not we would attend if the COP were in person.
Some climate justice groups at the time had advocated for a boycott of the COP because of the racism in the lack of global vaccine distribution that would greatly reduce attendance at the COP by the Global South. The groups cancelled the boycott when the UN decided to hold the event in person and instead decided to highlight the lack of Global South participation and the reasons for it.
Until that decision, SAL had focused on participating online. Once the UN decided the in-person COP would happen, we discharged together to consider our participation. We also asked people to discharge and decide if they would attend an in-person COP. Many chose not to, and we decided that only a small delegation would go and hold a limited number of in-person events.
Most of the younger people decided to attend in person, as did three African leaders and a few others from outside the UK. A group of UK RCers volunteered to assist in person as organizers for our events. We decided that everyone who attended from SAL/UER would have to be fully vaccinated and agree to a COVID safety protocol that involved masking, social distancing, and regular testing.
The UN required either vaccination or quarantining in the UK for ten days before people would arrive in Glasgow. A complex scheme of disparate treatment for people from different countries illuminated the racism in the UN’s policies. (Amid much global protest, many of the policies were abandoned before the COP.) Delegations attending were informed early on about the COVID protocol that would apply to them, including masking and distancing at the COP site along with daily testing.
A couple of weeks before the COP, the number of COVID cases in the UK started rising. A week beforehand, England was experiencing a record number of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. (The number of cases in Scotland wasn’t quite as high, but most people would be traveling through England to get to Scotland.)
A group of SAL/UER leaders and delegates met twice with Tim Jackins to discuss the situation and discharge together. We also consulted with several RC doctors and considered whether the SAL/UER delegation should cancel because of the COVID numbers.
We decided that, because we are in a climate emergency with huge stakes for humanity, it could make sense for some individuals to take a thoughtful risk to attend the COP. We had to take seriously the valuable contribution we make to those who are working to end the climate emergency. But we also decided that each person planning to attend should discharge and reconsider their decision, given the spikes in COVID cases. A few more people decided that it didn’t make sense for them to go. I decided that, given the added restimulations posed by high COVID numbers and the shrinking pool of volunteers, I would attend and help with the organizing. (I am fully vaccinated and had recently gotten the booster shot. I also don’t have any health conditions that would make me more vulnerable to COVID.)
Together with the doctors, we worked out the following COVID protocol and sent it to the delegation (and volunteers) in advance:
OUR COVID SAFETY PROTOCOL
There is a COVID risk involved in our activities. The rate of COVID infection in Scotland is high, and a lot of people will be mixing in Glasgow during the COP. Some of them will be unvaccinated.
We have a policy of no in-person contact within the International RC Communities, except in places where COVID numbers are very low. A limited exception is being made for the SAL delegation.
As much as possible in the remaining weeks before the COP, we will monitor the number of cases in Glasgow and any developments in variants. If there’s a significant change, Janet Kabue, Teresa Enrico, Diane Shisk, and Tim Jackins will advise us.
The Delta variant is circulating in Scotland and is mainly transmitted by aerosol (airborne fine droplets). Mask wearing, social distancing, and ventilation are key to lessening its spread. Meticulous hand washing and use of hand sanitiser will also help, especially with stopping the spread of other infections, for example, colds and flu.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has outlined a COVID Safety Code of Conduct. Our guidelines align with their protocols. Briefly, their protocols include the following:
- Testing with a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which determines if a person is infected by analyzing a sample to see if it contains genetic material from the virus
- Daily lateral flow testing [a rapid test for COVID]
- Mask wearing as required
- Keeping a one-meter distance in all contacts
- After a positive test for COVID, self-isolating and doing contact tracing to identify others for quarantining
More information will be coming from the UNFCCC. Here is the link to the UN Code of Conduct:
<www.ukcop26.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/COP26-Covid-19-Code-of-Conduct.pdf>
IF YOU TEST POSITIVE IN GLASGOW
- If you live in Scotland or England and develop symptoms or test positive for COVID, you will need to travel home by car. One of us will have access to a car and will drive you. If you live a long distance away, it would be good if you had a friend or relative on standby who could meet us partway.
- If you have traveled from outside Scotland or England and develop symptoms or test positive in Glasgow, we will work out how best to look after [take care of] you in the youth hostel. We have arranged for a separate room where you can stay while quarantining or until you go home. One of our RC doctors in the UK will stay close to you. You will need to have medical insurance as part of your travel insurance. And any medical assistance you need will have to be sought from outside the delegation.
WHAT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE TO US, AND DO
If you are on the in-person Glasgow team, you will need to provide us with the following information:
- Confirmation that you are fully vaccinated against COVID (we would also advise a flu vaccination for those who can get it)
- The name, home address, and telephone number of a friend or family member
- Medical information that could indicate you are at increased risk from COVID—so we can think about you and the whole group
In addition, a negative PCR test will be required.
If you are travelling from outside Scotland or England, you also need to do the following:
- Take a pre-departure test within three days of travelling to Scotland or England—those travelling from abroad need to be tested as part of the UNFCCC Code of Conduct (and for some people, UK travel regulations)
- Take a second PCR test within forty-eight hours of arrival
If you live in Scotland or England, please do the following:
- Book a PCR test so that you have a result one to two days before you arrive in Glasgow. Results usually take twenty-four hours. Here is the link to where you can book a test: <www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test>. (You can say that a health professional asked you to book it.)
LATERAL FLOW TESTS
- If you live in the UK, please bring with you (freely available) packs of lateral flow tests—as many as you can. Gill and Anica will bring extra tests.
- Each person will take two self-lateral flow tests each day. These can be taken at the same time or at separate times during the day. This will double the chances of the test coming up positive in the presence of an infection. (Studies show that there are many false negatives, while positive findings are highly reliable.)
- Please read the instructions carefully and ask for help if you are not sure how to do the lateral flow test. We may have a mixture of tests with us. Some require swabbing both nostrils. Some still require swabbing your throat and then one nostril (with the same swab).
MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
- Bring your own supply of face masks. These need to be disposable surgical-type masks, not cloth masks. We have bought enough FFP2 masks, which provide much better protection to the wearer and can be reused. However, please bring a small supply of surgical-type masks as well.
- Within our group we will always wear face masks, including in our bedrooms. Only remove them to eat and brush your teeth. If you can sleep with a mask on, please do.
- There will be no physical contact between us—no hand holding or hugging, no pillow fights. We will maintain distancing except as necessary in the bedrooms.
- All the above also apply to contact with people from outside the delegation.
- We will post a sign on the door to each of our events saying face masks are required.
- Presenters of SAL/UER events will wear a mask unless they are speaking, when they can temporarily remove it.
- We will wear masks outside if we are standing close to someone or are in a crowded area.
- We will avoid densely packed crowds.
SNACKS
We are not to touch and return snacks to the common basket (if you touch it, it’s yours). The snack team will purchase snacks that do not need subdivision.
HAND WASHING AND HAND SANITISING
- Bring your own hand sanitiser in a small bottle, to carry around with you. Gill and Anica will bring refills.
- We absolutely need to be meticulous about hand washing, or using hand sanitiser if we can’t wash our hands. Remember that other viruses are around.
- We will ask members of the public to hand sanitise when they enter and leave our events.
VENTILATION AND DISTANCING IN ROOMS
- For ventilation, we need to keep the windows open at least a little in the bedrooms. Bring extra warm clothes. Those coming by car, bring extra blankets if you can. We will also try to get extra blankets from the hostel.
- Do the following for in-person indoor SAL events and meetings:
— Get into the venue before a meeting—an hour before if possible. Open all the windows wide and open doors.
— Post a notice on the door saying that masks are required. (We will have additional notices in more languages.)
— Have a box of surgical blue masks available to be handed out.
— Presenters at SAL/UER events should wear a mask unless they are speaking, when they can temporarily remove it.
— Post a notice on the door showing one-meter social distancing.
— Mark out the room for one-meter distancing, move chairs, and so on. If the room is too full, SAL people not involved in the presentation will need to leave.
— Plug in a CO2 monitor to act as a proxy measurement of ventilation. To give the most accurate reading, it will need to be plugged in away from windows and doors. If the parts per million rise above 700, open the windows and doors wider or turn on fans, if available, facing out a door. If it goes much higher (and certainly if it goes beyond 1,200 ppm), people should get out of the room.
— Always use a portable air filter in the meeting rooms. This HEPA filter filters out particles to which the virus is attached. (When using the filter, the level of carbon dioxide does not fall.)
APPLYING THE SAFETY PROTOCOLS
We were vigilant in applying these measures within our delegation and at our events. We all became experts at sticking swabs up our noses.
The younger members of our delegation wanted to have more closeness at the end of the day. So they made an agreement with Tim Jackins that if they took a third COVID test the same evening and it was negative, they could hug and sit close within their group of roommates. We all found touching feet to be helpful during in-person Co-Counselling sessions.
We had no resistance to our protocols from people attending our events. We were part of the People’s Summit for Climate Justice, which required that people attending an event show negative results from a COVID test taken the same day. The UN required the same for entrance into the Blue or Green Zones.
We were challenged in keeping the ventilation adequate in our events. We had to leave doors and windows open and use fans, when available, pointed outward. We got to our events early, turned on the HEPA air filtration system we had purchased, and monitored the CO2 levels throughout. We were always able to keep the ventilation adequate, though we did have to turn people away from a couple of our events.
We marched together in two marches and tried to keep a good distance from others, though it wasn’t always possible. We all wore our masks the whole time and stayed away from unmasked people. We also stayed away from densely packed parts of the marches and rallies. We were able to do listening projects after the marches at the edge of the crowd. At the second march, we set up a gazebo (in the rain) far back from the front of the march, and we all wore masks. I don’t think anyone without a mask tried to come under the gazebo to look at our literature—most people seemed pretty [quite] aware and respectful.
Toward the end of our time in Glasgow, a delegate felt feverish and had a headache. We asked the person to quarantine until they got negative results from a viral COVID test. Two people who had been near the person also quarantined until the negative results came back. Our RC doctor did not think the person had COVID, and told us all that, but still we decided that they should quarantine, in an abundance of caution since the stakes are so high. We made the earliest appointment we could (the next morning) for a test, and our doc walked the person over to the clinic, maintaining distancing. We danced and sang (masked!) when the negative results came in the next evening.
It was clear to me that having the threat of COVID hanging over all of us the whole time added to our general level of restimulation and made everything harder. But we all got home safely, and no one contracted COVID while in the UK.
Shoreline, Washington, USA
(Present Time 206, January 2022)