EVENT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS  

SAACA EVENTS & PROGRAMS DURING COVID-19
  • A gathering refers to a planned or spontaneous event, indoors or outdoors, with a small number of people participating or a large number of people in attendance such as a community event or gathering, concert, festival, or cultural event.
  • The more people an individual interacts with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the potential risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and COVID-19 spreading.
  • The higher the level of community transmission in the area that the gathering is being held, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spreading during a gathering.
  • All indoor and outdoor events will require attendees, vendors and participants to wear appropriate face masks. 
  • In spaces and event locations where social distancing is not able to be enforced, we will strictly monitor attendance levels.  By attending a SAACA event, you understand that you may be asked to leave the premises if you are not in compliance with these or any other posted safety protocols. 
  • All events must be approved by the local governing body, and may be cancelled with little or no notice to the public.   
The risk of COVID-19 spreading at events and gatherings increases as follows:

Lowest risk: Virtual-only activities, events, and gatherings.
More risk: Smaller outdoor and in-person gatherings in which individuals from different households remain spaced at least 6 feet apart, wear masks, do not share objects, and come from the same local area (e.g., community, town, city, or county).
Higher risk: Medium-sized in-person gatherings that are adapted to allow individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and with attendees coming from outside the local area.
Highest risk: Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area.

Targeting COVID-19’s spread
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is thought to be mostly spread by respiratory droplets released when people talk, cough, or sneeze. It is thought that the virus may also spread to hands from a contaminated surface and then to the nose, mouth or eyes, causing infection. Therefore, personal prevention practices (such as handwashing, staying home when sick, maintaining 6 feet of distance, and wearing a mask) and environmental prevention practices (such as cleaning and disinfection) are important ways to prevent the virus’s spread.
These prevention principles are covered in this web page. They provide SAACA staff and event attendees with actions to help lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure and spread during gatherings and events.

Promoting Healthy Behaviors that Reduce Spread
SAACA is committed to implementing strategies to encourage behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 among staff and attendee
  • Staying Home when Appropriate 
    • All staff and attendees about when they should stay home.
      • All volunteers, employees and attendees to stay home if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or are showing COVID-19 symptoms.
      • Employees, volunteers and attendees to stay home and monitor their health if they have had a close contact with a person who has symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
      • We will develop flexible refund policies for attendees for events that involve a participation fee or ticket price.
  • Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette 
    • Frequent employee handwashing (e.g., before, during, and after taking tickets; after touching garbage) will be required with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and increase monitoring to ensure adherence.
    • If soap and water are not readily available, employees can use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol and rub their hands until dry.
    • Staff, volunteers and attendees will cover the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing and sneezing. Used tissues should be thrown in the trash and hands washed immediately with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
    • Attendees are required to wash hands often and cover coughs and sneezes.
    • Attendees often exchange handshakes, hugs, fist bumps, and high-fives at meetings and sporting events. Display signs (physical and/or electronic) will be present that discourage these actions during the event.
  • Masks  
    • All attendees, staff and volunteers are required to wear masks.  This is a strictly enforced local mandate, and will be required of all participants and venues. Masks are most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult (e.g., when moving within a crowd or audience).
    • All staff and vendors will be provided with information on proper use, removal, and washing of masks.
    • Masks should not be placed on:
      • Babies or children younger than 2 years old
      • Anyone who has trouble breathing
      • Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance
    • Attendees will be provided masks if they do not have one and are encouraged to bring masks with them to the event.   
    • Masks are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms. Masks are not meant to be a substitute for personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, respirators, or other medical personal protective equipment.
    • Masks are strongly encouraged in settings where individuals might raise their voice (e.g., shouting, chanting, singing).
  • Adequate Supplies  
    • Adequate supplies to support healthy hygienepdf icon behaviors. Supplies include soap, water, hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, masks (as feasible), and no-touch trash cans.
  • Signs and Messages 
Maintaining Healthy Environments
  • Cleaning and Disinfection 
    • All SAACA events will have dedicated staff that Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces within the venue at least daily or between uses as much as possible—for example, door handles, sink handles, drinking fountains, grab bars, hand railings, and cash registers.
    • Regular cleaning and disinfection of shared objects between uses—for example, payment terminals, tables, countertops, bars, and condiment holders, will be made available.
    • In indoor spaces, a schedule for increased, routine cleaning and disinfection will be posted.
    • EPA-approved disinfectants against COVID-19 will be used in all event spaces.
    • Disposable gloves will be used when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing of trash.
  • Restrooms
    • A limited number of people who occupy the restroom at one time to allow for social distancing will be enforced.
    • Lines or crowds forming near the restrooms without maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from other people will not be permitted.
  • Modified Layouts 
    • Limit attendance or seating capacity to allow for social distancing, or host smaller events in larger rooms.
    • Use multiple entrances and exits and discourage crowded waiting areas.
    • Block off rows or sections of seating in order to space people at least 6 feet apart.
    • Eliminate lines or queues if possible or encourage people to stay at least 6 feet apart by providing signs or other visual cues such as tape or chalk marks.
    • Prioritize outdoor activities where social distancing can be maintained as much as possible.
    • Offer online attendance options in addition to in-person attendance to help reduce the number of attendees.
  • Physical Barriers and Guides 
    • SAACA events will feature physical guides, such as tape on floors or sidewalks and signs on walls, to ensure that individuals remain at least 6 feet apart in lines and at other times (e.g., guides for creating one-way routes).  These steps will be taken where at all possible. 
    • For outdoor events, limited attendance, vendor totals and onsite staff ad volunteers will be highly monitored.  In many cases, attendance at the door may be restricted, and you may be turned away (free events) if layout are over capacity. 
    • For seated events, seating layout or availability of seating will be modified so that people can remain least 6 feet apart.
    • All chairs and tables for congregate seating will be removed from the event premises as to discourage gathering spaces within the event footprint. 
  • Food Service & Artisan Interactions
    • There is no evidence that COVID-19 is spread by food. However, people sharing utensils and congregating around food service areas can pose a risk.
    • If the event includes food service, as a food truck for vendor, SAACA will refer to CDC’s COVID-19 considerations for restaurants and bars.
    • Vendors will be encourage to implement touchless payment options as much as possible, if available.
    • Customers and employees are recommended to exchange cash or card payments by placing them on a receipt tray or on the counter rather than by hand to avoid direct hand-to-hand contact.
    • All participating vendors must clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as pens, counters, or hard surfaces between use and encourage patrons to use their own pens.
Maintaining Healthy Operations
  • Regulatory Awareness
    • SAACA understands that local guidance can change quickly, and are aware of local or state regulatory agency policies related to group gatherings to determine if events can be held.
  • Protections for Staff and Attendees who are at Higher Risk of Severe Illness from COVID-19
    • SAACA will offer options for staff at higher risk for severe illness (including older adults and people of any age with underlying medical conditions) that limit their exposure risk. For example:
      • Offer telework and modified job responsibilities for staff, such as setting up for the event rather than working at the registration desk.
      • Replace in-person meetings or in office work with video, remote or tele-conference calls whenever possible.
    • As feasible, offer options for attendees at higher risk for severe illness that limit their exposure risk (e.g., virtual attendance).
    • In cases, we may limit event attendance to staff and guests who live in the local area (e.g., community, city, town, or county) to reduce risk of spreading the virus from areas with higher levels of COVID-19. If attendance is open to staff and guests from other communities, cities, town or counties, provide information to attendees so they can make an informed decision about participation.
    • Put policies in place to protect the privacy of people at higher risk for severe illness regarding their underlying medical conditions.
  • Designated COVID-19 Point of Contact 
    • SAACA will designate an administrator or office to be responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns. All staff and attendees should know who this person or office is and how to contact them.
  • Communication Systems 
    • SAACA has put systems in place to:
      • Staff and attendees will self-report to event officials or a COVID-19 point of contact if they have symptoms of COVID-19, a positive test for COVID-19, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19 within the last 14 days, in accordance with health information sharing regulations for COVID-19 (e.g., see “Notify Health Officials and Close Contacts” in the Preparing for When Someone Gets Sick section below), and other applicable privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations.
      • We will advise attendees prior to the event or gathering that they should not attend if they have symptoms of, a positive test for, or were recently exposed (within 14 days) to COVID-19.
      • Notify staff, attendees, and the public of cancellations and restrictions in place to limit people’s exposure to COVID-19 (e.g., limited hours of operation).
      • Identify and address potential language, cultural, and disability barriers associated with communicating COVID-19 information to event staff and participants. Tailor information so that it is easily understood by various audiences and is available in alternative formats and languages.
      • Learn more about reaching people of diverse languages and cultures by visiting: Know Your Audience. You also can learn more about communicating to staff in a crisis at: Crisis Communications Plan.external icon
  • Lessons Learned After the Event
    • SAACA will meet with the emergency operations coordinator or planning team for your venue to discuss and note lessons learned.
    • Determine ways to improve planning and implementation processes if the event will happen again.
    • Update your plans regularly according to the state and local situation and orders.
  • Notify Health Officials and Close Contacts 
 
EVENT ATTENDEE NOTICE
Among adults, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die.

Risk for Severe Illness Increases with Age
As you get older, your risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases. For example, people in their 50s are at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 40s. Similarly, people in their 60s or 70s are, in general, at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 50s. The greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is among those aged 85 or older.

There are also other factors that can increase your risk for severe illness, such as having underlying medical conditions. By understanding the factors that put you at an increased risk, you can make decisions about what kind of precautions to take in your daily life.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Associated Hospitalization
As you get older, your risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 increases. Everyone, especially older adults and others at increased risk of severe illness, should take steps to protect themselves from getting COVID-19.

In general, your risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 increases as you get older. In fact, 8 out of 10 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the United States have been among adults aged 65 years and older.

Reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.
It is especially important for people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and those who live with them, to protect themselves from getting COVID-19.
The best way to protect yourself and to help reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 is to:
Limit your interactions with other people as much as possible.
Take precautions to prevent getting COVID-19 when you do interact with others.

If you start feeling sick and think you may have COVID-19, get in touch with your healthcare provider within 24 hours
 
Venturing out into a public setting? What to consider before you go.
As communities and businesses across the United States are opening, you may be thinking about resuming some activities, running errands, and attending events and gatherings. There is no way to ensure you have zero risk of infection, so it is important to understand the risks and know how to be as safe as possible.
People at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and those who live with them, should consider their level of risk before deciding to go out and ensure they are taking steps to protect themselves. Consider avoiding activities where taking protective measures may be difficult, such as activities where social distancing can’t be maintained. Everyone should take steps to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19 to protect themselves, their communities, and people who are at increased risk of severe illness.

In general, the more people you interact with, the more closely you interact with them, and the longer that interaction, the higher your risk of getting and spreading COVID-19.
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If you decide to engage in public activities, continue to protect yourself by practicing everyday preventive actions.
Keep these items on hand and use them when venturing out: a mask cloth, tissues, and a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if possible.
If possible, avoid others who are not wearing masks or ask others around you to wear masks.
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