playa

Community Care: Living and Working Together in Black Rock City 2022

Last updated 8/19/22 — As we reunite after a long pause, we’re faced with new challenges, as well as many opportunities to care for ourselves and each other. We haven’t done this beautiful thing in a few years, and many of us are still figuring out how to be social with others on this scale.

There will not be any health or COVID-19-related entry requirements for Black Rock City this year. This means that Burning Man will not require proof of vaccination or a negative test as a condition of entry. This decision was made after careful consideration and ongoing conversations over the last year, following the guidance of medical experts, and observing how other events and gatherings have operated safely.

Instead, we are sharing some cultural parameters that we hope will create a healthy and safe event. We’re all in this together!

Here are some common sense guidelines we’ve come up with to help us better enjoy our experience in Black Rock City this year:

  • Contemplate ahead of your arrival in BRC how you’ll navigate the health, safety, and social aspects of your Burn. Reacquainting ourselves with being in close proximity to so many people provides a powerful opportunity to practice patience, compassion, kindness, and strong communication.
  • Encourage your campmates to read the Survival Guide before they pack – not after they’re already on the road! It’s chock full of info that’ll help you plan for a safe, healthy, and happy return to the desert.
  • Do whatever you can to engage safely with your community! For some that might mean getting a COVID-19 vaccine before the event. For others it could be COVID-19 testing before you arrive in BRC, and in BRC if you feel sick or think you’ve been exposed. Perhaps wearing a mask and/or social distancing is right for you. 
  • Consent is queen! And it’s not just about sex. Ask permission before offering a hug or touching someone else, whether you know them or not. Respect the fact that others may want more space than usual this year. There could be a wide range of comfort levels on playa in 2022. 
  • Healthy boundaries are cool! When you’re with your fellow Burners, express what you are comfortable with and what you’re not comfortable with.
  • Participants of all ages come to BRC. Keep in mind that our city welcomes everyone, and that includes the more vulnerable in our community such as the elderly and immune-compromised. 
  • Vaccination status, health status, concern about safety precautions, or COVID-related disagreements are not justification to treat others with disrespect. Lead every interaction with kindness and care. 

Finally, here are a few additional tips from our Emergency Services Department for all participants to help minimize the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 at the event, what to do if you suspect you have COVID-19 while in BRC, and how to access related support services. 

  • If you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster and haven’t received one yet, do so at least two weeks prior to arriving on playa.
  • The week prior to arrival and the week after departure from BRC, avoid indoor gatherings in poorly ventilated settings or densely packed outdoor gatherings. If this is not possible, consider wearing a mask in these situations.
  • Take a rapid home test before driving to and after leaving BRC. Please do not enter BRC if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive within 10 days.
  • Bring enough COVID-19 antigen (rapid) tests for yourself, and extras for others in your camp. If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 or if you have any symptoms, please test! U.S. residents can order eight free tests here.
  • Bring N95 or KN95 masks with you (and some to share if you have extras!). Some staff spaces will require participants to wear a mask before interacting, so you will not be permitted in some areas without a mask.
  • If you suspect you have COVID-19 while in BRC, or you are experiencing symptoms, consider how to best help protect others*. Please isolate yourself for five days. If you must be around others, keep six feet of distance and wear a mask. Following your isolation, continue to mask up in social settings with a well-fitting N-95 for the duration of the event.
  • If you are sick with COVID-19 and need emergency care for symptoms you cannot control on your own at camp, go to an Emergency Services Department (ESD) station while wearing a well-fitting N-95 mask. Please let the volunteers there know you tested positive so they can initiate safety measures. This is both for your own wellbeing and the protection of everyone around you. As with all medical services on playa, any care you receive will be confidential and anonymous.
  • We understand that for many people the pandemic has been extremely impactful. There are mental health support services available in BRC if you or someone in your camp needs them. Please go to either a Ranger or ESD station to connect with these services.

Monkeypox Awareness

We are paying close attention to the emerging outbreak of monkeypox. Please read up on the info below so you can be prepared and make the best choices possible — we want participants to have fun in Black Rock City while being safe!

  • Monkeypox is primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact and touching objects/fabrics/surfaces that were used by someone with monkeypox, but may also spread via respiratory droplets, according to the CDC. Here’s a helpful page with more information about how it spreads.
  • The CDC has recommendations for how to best protect yourself such as avoiding close skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox and washing hands often. The page also has helpful info about safer sex as it relates to monkeypox. San Francisco’s Department of Public Health shares informational posters in multiple languages in their Monkeypox outreach toolkit. Symptoms tend to appear in six to 13 days, but can take as long as three weeks to appear.
  • Know the signs and symptoms of monkeypox, and if you have confirmed monkeypox or have lesions, cover all parts of the rash with clothing, gloves, and/or bandages, and isolate away from others in your camp. If you must leave your living space, cover any lesions and wear a mask. If you need to seek medical care, consider leaving the event.

Share this page with your campmates! We’ve made it together this far — let’s have 2022 be the year of respect, resilience, and love.

*All persons diagnosed with COVID-19 should isolate themselves for 5 days and wear a well-fitting mask when around others for 10 days, according to the CDC. The CDC recommendations for ending isolation after infections with SARS-COV2 vary depending on disease severity and immune status. Recommendations for quarantine and subsequent testing after exposure to SARS-COV2 vary depending on your vaccination status or recent diagnosis of COVID-19. More specific details can be found on their website here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html