Email Template for COVID Safety Advocacy
Asking for COVID accessibility is not as difficult as it sounds!
COVID is still running rampant globally and each infection has a 10–35% chance of permanently disabling the infected individual. This chance increases with each infection. From a harm reduction standpoint, not doing everything in one’s power to protect those who showed up to an event or venue from such a virus is unkind at best and violent at worst.
That’s why we’re suggesting that all events implement a COVID-safer hour of the day and all venues implement a COVID-safe day of the month (i.e. high filtration masks and / or COVID tests are required). Here is more information on why this is so desperately needed.
The Breathe Easy London team have created this template for asking local events / venues to implement COVID-safety measures. If an event/venue does end up requiring masks and / or tests for any period of time, contact breatheeasyldn@gmail.com for our approval sticker and we’ll start promoting that event/venue to our community of eager COVID-conscious Londoners!
So, if you are a COVID-safe individual who really misses a specific shop / event / etc., or if you’re an event organiser who doesn’t know how to ask your team or venue partners for COVID accessibility, here’s what you can say:
Template for event planners asking fellow organisers, venues, etc. to implement a COVID-safe hour of the day (or day of the month):
Hi [NAME],
I hope this email finds you well. I’m writing to ask if we could implement an accessibility measure that I’ve recently been made aware of.
Though it doesn’t get talked about much anymore, COVID is still running rampant in the UK. While many people feel more comfortable going out and about without a mask, this unfortunately means that immunocompromised and Disabled people (who make up 25% of the population) are excluded from our event, as entering enclosed areas without COVID mitigations in place will almost certainly mean them contracting a disease that will either kill them (Disabled people have a 4 times higher COVID mortality rate) or disable them further (at least 10–35% of all infections result in Long COVID). Beyond the Disabled community, the most marginalised people in the country are at higher risk of long-term disablement from COVID, including people of colour (with a 32% Long COVID rate) women (36%), transgender people (48%), people with HIV (58%), etc.
I believe we have a responsibility to do something to protect these people and make our event inclusive and safe.
I know we ask that [CUSTOMERS / ATTENDEES] don’t enter if they’re having symptoms (and that’s a great start!), but this ignores the prevalence of asymptomatic COVID infections (at least 35%). So while I understand implementing universal protection measures throughout the entirety of the [EVENT / SPACE] may not be within reach at this time, I wanted to ask if we could require masks [1 DAY PER MONTH / FOR THE FIRST HOUR OF THE EVENT / DURING AT LEAST ONE SCREENING PER FILM / ETC]? This would allow higher-risk individuals to be able to enjoy our [SHOP / EVENT / ETC] (for example: Disabled people, cancer patients, families of these groups, etc) and ensure more marginalised members of the community aren’t compromising their safety for attendance.
This would be one easy step to make our [EVENT / SPACE] accessible.
I know we might be concerned about the cost of implementing this, but even if we don’t have the budget to provide masks (though ideally we would, as FFP2s are only £0.40 each), we can always require them for [THE FIRST HOUR / THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH] and ask anyone without one to just come back [IN THIRTY MINUTES / TOMORROW].
And if we’re concerned about decreased attendance, know that these types of things have actually sold out in many areas. In London specifically, there is an organising group called Breathe Easy London that hosts monthly COVID-safe socials, and they always sell out. Breathe Easy London has also offered to speak with us on how to implement this and promote our [EVENT / VENUE] if we do!
Let me know what you think! Hopefully just [ONE HOUR / ONE DAY] will be doable so we can be safe, responsible, and accessible!
[YOUR NAME]
Template for individuals asking events/venues you don’t know personally to implement a COVID-safe hour of the day (or day of the month):
Hi there,
I hope this email finds you well. My name is [YOUR NAME]; I’m a [YOUR QUALIFICATIONS (e.g. immunocompromised Londoner, shop frequenter with immunocompromised family/ friends, access organiser, event planner, etc)]. My friends and I all really love coming to your [SHOP / EVENT / ETC], but I wanted to reach out about a safety / accessibility issue and an easy way to solve it.
[PERSONAL ANECDOTE (e.g. “I have a heart condition that would make a COVID infection pretty much deadly to me, but I really love going to see movies. I was SO excited to see Wicked, and my friend recommended your cinema, but because it’s close quarters without masks, I wasn’t able to go or talk about it with anyone. I would LOVE if any cinema in the city did something to make it safe to go to movies again, though.” or “My friend wanted to come with me to the last event, but she’s going through chemo at the moment and can’t risk going places without infection control in place. I know she’s itching to go to one of these though, and it’d be so great to surprise her with a safe one!”)] Though it doesn’t get talked about much anymore, COVID is still running rampant in [CITY / COUNTRY], and while many people feel more comfortable going out and about without a mask, this unfortunately means that immunocompromised and Disabled people [OPTIONAL: like myself] (who make up 25% of the population) are excluded from certain spaces. Entering enclosed areas without COVID mitigation in place will almost certainly mean contracting a disease that will either kill them (Disabled people have a 4 times higher COVID mortality rate) or disable them further (at least 10–35% of all infections result in Long COVID, and this doesn’t include any other risk factors).
I understand that implementing universal protection measures may not be within reach at this time (though it is easier than you think! here’s a link on affordable COVID-safe event coordination in London), I wanted to ask if you might be open to requiring masks [1 DAY PER MONTH / FOR THE FIRST HOUR OF THE EVENT / DURING AT LEAST ONE SCREENING PER FILM / ETC]? This would allow higher-risk individuals to be able to enjoy your [SHOP / EVENT / ETC] (for example: Disabled people, cancer patients, families of these groups, etc)!
This would also make it a lot safer for already-marginalised members of the community to [ATTEND / STOP BY / SHOP HERE / ETC]. For example, people of colour have a 32% Long COVID rate, women 36%, transgender people 48%, neurodivergent people 30%, people with HIV 58%, etc.
While a lot of places have policies asking that [CUSTOMERS / MOVIE-GOERS / CLIENTS / ATTENDEES / ETC] don’t enter if they’re having symptoms (and that’s a great start!), this does ignore the prevalence of asymptomatic COVID infections (at least 35%). I think [ONE COVID-SAFE DAY PER MONTH / A MASK-REQUIRED HOUR / ETC] would be an easy way to get around all that and make it accessible for higher-risk people, like [MY FRIEND / MYSELF / MY MOM / ETC], to enjoy your [SHOP / EVENT / ETC].
I know a lot of [SHOP OWNERS / EVENT PLANNERS / ETC] might be concerned about the cost of implementing this, but these types of things have actually sold out many areas. In London specifically, there is an organising group called Breathe Easy London that hosts monthly COVID-safe socials, and they always sell out. Breathe Easy London has also offered to speak with any event planner, shop owner, etc. on how to implement COVID safety and will promote your [EVENT / VENUE] to their large community of COVID-conscious Londoners in return! I personally know at least [NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOLLOWING YOUR LOCAL MASK BLOC / IN YOUR COVID-CONSCIOUS GROUP CHAT / ETC] who would be much more likely to attend your [SHOP / EVENT / ETC.] if it were to implement COVID safety.
I recognise that you may be concerned about the cost of implementing this, but even if you don’t have the budget to provide masks (though ideally you could, as FFP2s are only £0.40), you can always require them for [THE FIRST HOUR / THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH] and ask anyone without one to just come back [IN THIRTY MINUTES / TOMORROW].
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! If you need any help implementing this, feel free to email breatheeasyldn@gmail.com. I guarantee that making your space accessible is easier than it sounds and infinitely worth it. I hope to hear from you soon,
[YOUR NAME]
P.S.
If you’re interested in other ways of making your [SHOP / EVENT / ETC] COVID-safer, I highly recommend installing a HEPA air purifier for the space if you don’t have one already! (COVID has been shown to move through the air like smoke, rather than droplets as was originally thought, which is why social distancing and surgical masks aren’t very effective / don’t make for an accessible space.)
If the shop or event you’re emailing promotes inclusion, equality, or vulnerable communities– for example, radical bookstores, queer events, charity shops, free food distribution, etc– you can also add a little something like:
“I really appreciate all the work you’re doing in u
plifting marginalised communities, and I hope this extends to keeping these communities safe in the face of a disabling virus that the rest of the city ignores. With so much respect for what you do, a mask-required [DAY / HOUR / AREA] would be a bare minimum in safely including the people we both want to see empowered.”
We’re looking forward to a COVID-safe summer!
Excerpts taken from the following articles from Breathe Easy London lead organiser, Greta Mauch: