Handling Covid19 with BYPZ
Well, here we are just a little passed the 2 month point of learning to cope with our new hurdle, Covid19! We have had many ups and downs with this physical and emotional train wreck of collateral damages covid is leaving behind. It has certainly put us through the wringer with so many plans and investments changed and things left in question as people start to find a new way to live with this virus and attempt to progress forward with “normal” life.
So many of our followers and new friends interested in planning parties for 2020 have become very creative in ways to try and keep everyone safe, still celebrate a birthday and continue to maintain a level of normalcy for their families but within a 6-foot radius. It is so hard to balance all of this and we commend your efforts TREMENDOUSLY which brings me to the big question, “will we be attending parties or events this year?” The answer to that is unfortunately a vague one. At this time we anticipate our county moving from phase RED to YELLOW in the very near future. This does not bring us out of the woods though its a start in the right direction. With much deliberation and consultation Barnes Yard Petting Zoo is continuing to hold off on any events until further notice.
It is our sincerest hope to be updating this in the very near future with better news!
** We have consulted with the health department as well as our USDA agent who both have advised us to follow local health department guidelines as well as remain compliant with the CDC, as there is not enough solid information to get a predictable handle on the virus just yet. Federal agencies (USDA) are not able to advise a certain code of ethics, if you will, that gives us the “do’s and dont’s” for safety with this virus so its up to us to feel things out and figure out where we can and cannot remain within local regulations.
“So what does all this mean?” …. well in basic terms, we are non-essential and waiting things out safely on our farm like many of you are doing at home. We will not be doing any events in the near future. Again, we are hoping better news is on the horizon about this.
“Can’t you offer a pony ride / petting zoo for even a couple kids that have quarantined together?”…. No. As this virus continues to develop and evolve into stranger things, the risk is not worth the reward. We simply would be devastated to go from 1 small gather to the next and risk being the middle man who transmits this virus to or from your families. This is a heart breaking decision but better safe than sorry.
“We have already had it and are all better, can you still do a party for us?” …. Sorry, the answer is still No. Again, the risk is not worth it for us to possibly contract the virus and be sick ourselves or contribute to the spread of the virus as a potentially asymptomatic middle man from party to party.
“can the animals contract COVID19?” …. According to AMVA.org (American Medical Veterinary Association) “There is no evidence to suggest that animals, including pets, that may be incidentally infected by humans are playing a role in the spread of COVID-19. Human outbreaks are driven by person-to-person transmission.
Pets have other types of coronaviruses that can cause them to become ill, but these are species-specific, meaning that they do not infect people and are not related to the current COVID-19 outbreak.”
“Will you be doing any Unicorn Photo Shoots?”…. This is again, to be determined once we move well into phase GREEN. Sharing common space of the Unicorn’s back and body is of concern due to contact time and conflicting developments to the virus. We are also keeping our handlers in mind as they are normally helping kids up and down and in general with sharing space with the animals.
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