Starting this month, since Governor Inslee has reopened Washington State, going forward, you’re welcome to attend Bagua Zhang class in person, if you have been fully vaccinated.  

Unvaccinated students are welcome to attend classes remotely via Zoom. 

 

 

I have received a handful of inquiries regarding our masking and vaccination policies at Mace Martial Arts, and first of all, I’m glad to hear from all of you, and hope you all remain healthy and well through the challenges of the dangerous and tumultuous recent years! 

 

I respect your thoughtful questions and eagerness to return to training with us, I love sharing this art with good students with a passion for learning and self-development. 

 

I also love creating a safe environment for my students to enjoy learning and exploring together, as we polish our skills to become the best versions of ourselves we can be. 

 

This is why I follow the health and safety measures recommended by state and federal officials, as well as medical doctors at the CDC and World Health Organization, hospitals and healthcare clinics, because I also want to see this pandemic end as soon as we can all help to finish the threat to all of our health and livelihood. My family and I, as well as several of my students, also follow alternate and preventative healthcare methods to keep ourselves healthy. All the various allopathic and alternative methods work best when applied together, instead of separately or in spite of the other. 

 

The pandemic has affected me personally and financially. My family and I got COVID-19 early in 2020, my wife and step-daughter have suffered from long hauler symptoms since April last year. I also have several close friends and family members that have also gotten sick from COVID-19, and 2 have died from it. 

For over a year, I had to conduct classes remotely via Zoom, reduced tuition and still had a large drop in student enrollment. 

I know firsthand that this is not something to take lightly or dismiss the very real threat this virus poses to us, and this adds to my resolve to do all I can to prevent the spread of this disease, the sooner the better. My family and I, as well as several of my students have all been vaccinated, and none of us have had any side-effects (or super-powers) as result of taking the vaccine. 

 

A growing number of businesses and government agencies are requiring continued masking and vaccinations, notably for health care professionals. Especially as we have seen how well the vaccines have performed in prevention of symptoms over the last 5 months. 

 

 

My requirement of vaccinations for students  is a professional and business decision that demonstrates my dedication to the health and safety of my students, my family and my community. 

It is a standard that I share with a growing number of other businesses, schools, hospitals, clinics and government agencies. 

Vaccinations have been effective in the suppression of Polio, Smallpox, Measles and other diseases — it could be likewise as effective in eliminating the current pandemic, if there weren’t so much disinformation and dismissal of masking and vaccinations, especially in the United States, where we have the resources to effectively end the pandemic. 

 

With freedom comes obligations and responsibilities to ourselves and our community. This moment is a time for all of us to be considerate to the health and well being of all of us as a community, so that we can all survive and flourish. 

Unvaccinated students are welcome to attend classes remotely via Zoom. 

 

I hope you will join us in classes again soon, as well as our united efforts to end the pandemic. 

From the AMTA: 

On August 9, 2021, Governor Jay Inslee issued Proclamation 21-14, which requires health care providers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18, 2021. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose in a two-dose series of a vaccine, or two weeks after receiving a single-dose vaccine. Because of the lead time needed for the two-dose vaccines, we encourage you to plan now for getting the vaccine. 

 

Massage therapy practices are listed in the Proclamation as a “Health Care Setting” which includes designated areas where massage is administered within non-health care settings like spas and wellness/fitness centers. And, proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will be accepted in the following forms: 

• CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or photo of the card 
• Documentation of vaccination from a health care provider or electronic health record 
• State immunization information system record 

Exemptions are allowed for disability-related accommodations that fall under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), or any other reasonable accommodation. There is an additional exemption allowed for deeply-held religious beliefs. Please contact the Washington State Department of Health with any questions.

 

For additional information and updates, you can visit the Washington COVID-19 State Page.