The safety of our Fellows and staff is our top priority. VCCA will be following all recommendations and guidelines put forward by the CDC and the French Government as they evolve.
These guidelines are subject to change.
On your residency contract, you will be asked to agree to abide by VCCA COVID guidelines. Fellows refusing to abide by the guidelines will be asked to leave.
Requirements for Residency
COVID-19 vaccination and an updated CDC-recommended booster are required for any residency at VCCA. Updated boosters have been available in the U.S. since September 2022. Exceptions may be made for those with verified health concerns preventing vaccination/booster shots and for those whose country of residence does not provide a booster. Documentation is required as proof of vaccination status and/or exemption.
Fellows are required to submit the following documents to Resident Director Cheryl Fortier at least 14 days prior to arrival:
- Send your vaccination certificate to cfortier@vcca.com with “Vaccination Card” as the subject.
- Send your signed waiver to cfortier@vcca.com with “Waiver” as the subject.
- Send your signed emergency form to cfortier@vcca.com with “Emergency Form” as the subject.
Monitor Your Health
We ask that you stay home if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms of COVID-19. We will work with you to reschedule your residency. If you develop any of these symptoms while at le Moulin à Nef, please mask immediately and notify the office.
- Fever or chills
- New loss of taste or smell
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Congestion or runny nose
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle or body aches
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
Before Traveling to France
- We ask Fellows to take a COVID test before traveling to VCCA and to take another test three days after arrival.
- Please pack a rapid COVID-19 test kit that you will self-administer three days after arrival.
- A Fellow testing positive before or after arrival should inform VCCA staff immediately.
- Be sure to bring copies of all of your documents such as vaccination records, EU QR code, etc.
- Read your airline’s requirements carefully, as well as the Government of France information carefully before you travel.
- Be sure to check what is required for you to re-enter your country of residence or the country that you will next be visiting several days before your departure from le Moulin à Nef.
If you learn that you have been exposed to Covid-19
Please contact VCCA immediately at cfortier@vcca.com, plan to mask during your first 10 days, and follow CDC guidelines for isolation and testing. Notify VCCA if you develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.
Traveling to VCCA’s Le Moulin à Nef
Please follow all CDC, airline, and Government of France guidelines while traveling to VCCA.
- Use masks.
- Practice physical distancing.
- Practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.
Be sure to carry all of your up-to-date vaccination records with you when you travel.
Upon Arrival at VCCA’s Le Moulin à Nef
- We encourage all Fellows to mask for their first three days.
- We ask all Fellows to bring with them a COVID rapid test to self-administer three days after arrival. A Fellow testing positive should inform VCCA staff immediately.
- If you begin to have symptoms at any time during your residency, take a COVID test and inform VCCA staff immediately if you test positive.
- Practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.
- We encourage all Fellows to keep their distance from others, especially during their first week of residency.
- Fellows are always welcome to wear a mask and maintain social distance if they are more comfortable doing so.
- Thank you for being cautious as it will help us to protect our VCCA community.
Covid Testing
We ask all Fellows to arrive with a rapid COVID-19 test that you will self-administer on the third day after your arrival. If you do not have a test kit, you may purchase one at the office.
A Positive Test:
If you test positive on your rapid COVID test, you will be required to self-isolate in your bedroom and/or your studio. You should inform everyone that you have been in contact with in the past 48 hours that you have tested positive. You will have to isolate yourself in your bedroom and/or studio for five days with no interaction with other Fellows and staff. At that time if you no longer have symptoms, you can come out of isolation. You will need to mask and be sure to practice hand hygiene and safe distancing for 5 days after you come out of isolation.
If you test positive, our staff will work with you and with other Fellows to assure that you have your own bathroom to use. We will set up a kitchen schedule so that you can have dedicated kitchen time for preparing meals and we will discuss disinfection practices. Staff can work with you to get the groceries and supplies that you need.
Covid Testing in Auvillar:
Antigen testing (rapid) can be done at the Auvillar pharmacy by appointment only. You can drop in or call to make an appointment. The cost is 25€.
Pharmacie d’Auvillar: 05 63 39 65 04
From a U.S. cell phone: +1 33 5 63 39 65 04
If you need help making appointments, email Cheryl or drop by the office during office hours.
Accommodations
Each Fellow will be assigned a private bedroom as well as a private studio. Bathrooms are shared. They will be cleaned regularly and cleaning supplies will be provided in each one. We ask that you wipe down surfaces, switches, and door knobs regularly.
At this time VCCA does not allow overnight guests. Whether we invite guests to dinner or have open studio events will be determined by the level of Omicron in our area.
Housekeeping
Hand sanitizer will be available in the common areas around the property.
Cleaning supplies will be provided in every bathroom in the residence and studio building. Wipe down door handles, light switches, and faucets regularly. Air out your bedroom and studio regularly.
Housekeeping is done once to twice a week in common areas. Your bedroom and studio will have been aired, cleaned, and made up for you before arrival. Once you are here it is up to you to clean your room and launder your linens. Laundry facilities are available for use by Fellows.
Between residencies, bedrooms and studios are aired out and cleaned thoroughly based on French government recommendations.
Meals
The kitchen is a shared space. We ask that you wash your hands as soon as you enter the space, wear masks until you have tested negative 3-5 days after arrival, and use common sense when working in the kitchen with other Fellows and when dining together. Leave space at tables, alternate seating, and dine outdoors. There are outdoor tables in the garden behind the Maison Vieilhescaze and if the weather is inclement but warm there is a table on the covered balcony.
Cleaning and disinfecting supplies as well as clean dish towels will be left in the kitchen for your use, in the upper cupboard to the right of the sink. Wash the dish towels regularly.
Please use the dishwasher at all times to ensure proper cleaning of dishes. For anything that cannot be cleaned in the dishwasher, be sure to use hot soapy water when washing.
Updated June 8, 2023