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City of Valdez Considerations for Event Organization and COVID-19 Mitigation Plans

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3. City of Valdez Considerations for Event Organization and COVID-19 Mitigation Plans

5. The City of Valdez would like to support the organization of COVID-19 Conscious events in the community. All city sponsored and/or supported events held in the community of Valdez will need to follow the process for approval outlined in this document. All other events are strongly encouraged to implement this same process. The guidelines/recommendations found in this document are designed to be used as a tool to assist you in planning and writing a mitigation plan for your event. These guidelines are not intended to be the determining factor of you holding your event.

7. Events are defined as special or temporary indoor/outdoor group gathering that will include participants from multiple households, social groups or social bubbles. Gatherings may include a small number of participants or a larger number of people. Examples of events are tournaments/competitions, festivals, marketplaces, parades, concerts, or any other similar event.

9. The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be mostly spread by droplets of aerosols that are created when a person sneezes, coughs or talks. Personal hygiene and preventative actions, such as handwashing, wearing a mask, maintaining 6 feet of distance where possible, staying home when sick or exhibiting symptoms and thorough cleaning and disinfecting of common spaces, are the most important things to consider when developing actions to prevent the spread of the virus.

11. Please consider the following sections in your events mitigation plans. Click the box to place a checkmark  beside each action item to indicate this will be put into effect during your event. Please include any additional information regarding your specific plans in the boxes below each section. Adding extra pages or documents is acceptable if needed.

13. Creating Healthy Environments
    When organizing an event, you should consider the following items as you develop the event site/space. Depending on the event, you may implement many of the following strategies:

    When organizing an event, you should consider the following items as you develop the event site/space. Depending on the event, you may implement many of the following strategies:

15. Cleaning and Disinfecting:

    1. Develop a cleaning schedule for frequently touched surfaces such as doors, handrails, cash registers, sink handles, drink stations.
    2. Shared objects, such as registration or payment terminals, tables, countertops, or bars should be cleaned and disinfected between uses.
    3. Consider closing areas that cannot be properly cleaned and sanitized.
    4. Develop protocols for transportation, if applicable, that include area such as vehicle cleaning, driver hygiene, or mask wearing policy.
    5. Develop cleaning policies to ensure proper use of personal protection when cleaning. Such as use of gloves, proper disposal of gloves, post cleaning hand washing, and use of face coverings.

17. Restrooms:

    1. Ensure restroom facilities are open/available and that the toilets and sinks function properly.
    2. Develop a schedule for restroom cleaning and stocking to ensure that ample hand soap/sanitizer and paper products are available at all times.
    3. Consider posting the cleaning schedule for participants to see.
    4. Consider posting notice so that a participant knows who to contact if the restroom needs attention.
    5. Consider limiting the number of people allowed in a restroom at one time and look to create a plan to limit crowds gathering in line for the restrooms. The goal being to keep 6-ft social distancing.

19. Hand-washing and Sanitation:

    1. Handwashing stations and/or sanitation stations should be dispersed throughout the event.
    2. Cleaning and restocking of handwashing and sanitation stations should be developed.

21. Water Systems/Supply:

    1. Ensure that your event has a safe water supply for drinking and cleaning.
    2. Encourage staff and participants to bring their own water bottles if possible.
    3. Clean and sanitize common access drinking water supply stations routinely.

23. Food Services:

    1. Event sponsored and vendor based food services should follow the current policies outlined by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation found at: https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss.aspx.
    2. Proper food service permits should be obtained for the event and each vendor if applicable.
    3. Cleaning and disinfecting schedules for frequently touched surfaces should be developed.
    4. Touchless payment should be used whenever possible and applicable. If cash transaction occur, hand to hand contact should be avoided.
    5. Use of disposable food service items (dishes/utensils). If not possible, ensure all non-disposable items are handled w/ gloves & sanitized. Avoid self-serve option for food/beverage disbursement.

25. Please include any additional information regarding your specific "Creating Healthy Environments" plans:

27. Creating Healthy Operations
    Organizers will want to consider implementing a selection or all of the following measures to ensure that they do what is possible to create a healthy operation.

    Organizers will want to consider implementing a selection or all of the following measures to ensure that they do what is possible to create a healthy operation.

29. Regulatory Awareness:

    1. Stay up to date on any regulations on group gatherings.
    2. Monitor CDC, State of Alaska and City of Valdez guidelines, mandates and procedures to determine the parameters in which your event can operate.

31. Protections for Staff, Volunteers, and Attendees:

    1. Consider means to protect staff by providing proper protection equipment, plexiglass dividers, temperature screenings or testing.
    2. Develop policies so that staff, volunteers or attendees remain home if they are sick or exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms or if they have had a close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19.
    3. Provide policies to protect the privacy of person at higher risk, allowing them a safe measure to identify underlying conditions.
    4. Whenever possible, limit in person organizational meetings prior to the event and during the event ensure that precautions are being taken to ensure safe interactions.

33. Creation of Event Policies:

    1. Create a set of event policies for staff, volunteers and registrants.
    2. Policies clearly state participant expectations. For example: Registration requirements, mask requirements, health screening.

35. Staff and Volunteer Training:

    1. Train all staff and volunteers on the symptoms of COVID-19.
    2. Train all staff on the mitigation plan for the event.
    3. Have a backup list of staff and volunteers.

37. Recognizing Signs and Symptoms:

    1. Conduct and log health screening, such as temperature tests or questioner, of staff and volunteers daily.
    2. If applicable, conduct a health screening, such as a temperature check or questioner, for attendees.
    3. Post signage around the event that explain the symptoms of COVID-19 and how to report if you have symptoms.

39. Participation Management:

    1. Consider ways to manage participation to allow for proper distancing. (see the following examples):
    2. These measures could include staggered entry times, advance registration, limited attendance, or timed attendance.

41. Travel, Transit and Parking:

    1. If providing transit or shuttles for your event, create a process for cleaning and create a policy for riders/drivers of the transfer.
    2. Look at your parking situation and create traffic flow to allow for safe entry/exit to your event.
    3. Advertise in advance any special transfer or parking requirements.

43. Designated COVID-19 Coordinator:

    1. Designate a COVID-19 or health and safety coordinator for the event.
    2. This designee will be the person who coordinates event permits with the City of Valdez and will be the point of contact for any problems or compliments.

45. Lessons Learned after the Event:

    1. Organize a lessons learned meeting relative to COVID-19 mitigations.
    2. Share the results of this session with the City of Valdez so they can improve the mitigations at future events.

47. Please include any additional information regarding your specific "Creating Healthy Operations" plans:

49. Maintaining Registration and Participation Records
    For the purposes of contact tracing, if an infected person is known to participate in the event or gathering, you need to consider how you will notify the remainder of the participants of their exposure. The following are the items to consider as you write your mitigation plan.

    For the purposes of contact tracing, if an infected person is known to participate in the event or gathering, you need to consider how you will notify the remainder of the participants of their exposure. The following are the items to consider as you write your mitigation plan.

51. Registrations:

    1. Consider having limited and controllable points of entry/exit at your event.
    2. Consider organizing an advance registration system that collects participants’ information and/or applicable fees.
    3. On site registrations should ideally be touchless when available. Numerous registration methods/stations are ideal to allow for efficient processing.
    4. Establish proper procedures and use proper signage to ensure that those who are waiting for registration are practicing social distancing of 6 feet.

53. Participation Records:

    1. Events should collect accurate participant records for each participant including name and contact information.
    2. Note: This is essential for possible contact tracing and notification.

55. Please include any additional information regarding your specific "Maintaining Registration and Participation Records" plans:

57. Managing Traffic and Physical Distancing
    Look at ways to provide proper traffic flow that ensures social distancing measures are in place during registration, parking, participation and departure.

    Look at ways to provide proper traffic flow that ensures social distancing measures are in place during registration, parking, participation and departure.

59. Modified Layouts:

    1. Ensure proper spacing between vendors, registrations and event participants. This means you may need to consider fewer vendors, increased registration stations and limited event participation.
    2. Consider traffic patterns including one way zones and enter or exit only areas.

61. Physical Barriers and Guidelines:

    1. Signage or physical barriers should be considered to ensure traffic patterns are followed.
    2. Advance notice of event guidelines should be advertised and available to participants.
    3. Creation of a traffic flow map should be considered and published in advance for participants to reference.

63. Communal Spaces:

    1. Communal inside spaces should be avoided if possible. If necessary, proper ventilation and barriers for traffic flow and signage to limit gatherings should be considered.
    2. Outside communal spaces should have traffic flows designated.
    3. In both environments, organizers should consider marking off areas to allow for social distancing. Such as marking off every other row or every third seat.

65. Please include any additional information regarding your specific "Managing Traffic and Physical Distancing" plans:

67. Setting Expectations from Vendors/Contractors (if applicable)
    If your event has vendors or contractors, you should consider the following:

    If your event has vendors or contractors, you should consider the following:

69. Check List, Registration and Agreements:

    1. Create a check list for vendors or contractors that includes information about the required signage, sanitation, screening, permits and the like.
    2. Have a vendor registration along with a signed agreement committing to adhere to the items found in the events mitigation plan.

71. Please include any additional information regarding your specific "Setting Expectations from Vendors/Contractors" plans:

73. Preparing for when someone shows symptoms and/or is confirmed positive
    As an event organizer, you need to have a contingency plan in place to manage the situation if a participant shows symptoms of COVID-19 at the event, reports a positive test after attending the event or is a known close contact to a positive person.

    As an event organizer, you need to have a contingency plan in place to manage the situation if a participant shows symptoms of COVID-19 at the event, reports a positive test after attending the event or is a known close contact to a positive person.

75. Knowing symptoms & Posting of symptoms:

    1. Be able to recognize and have your staff and volunteers recognize the symptoms of COVID-19.
    2. Post signage at the event that states the symptoms of COVID-19.

77. Process for reporting symptoms/positive test:

    1. Develop a process and contact where participants, staff or volunteers can report a positive case or symptoms.
    2. This contact must be checked regularly.
    3. Registration records must be available to the person checking this contact.
    4. A written communication plan should be developed and approved by the Valdez COVID Unified Command.

79. Please include any additional information regarding your specific "Preparing for when someone shows symptoms and/or is confirmed positive" plans:

81. (Optional) Upload: Additional documentation to be included in your plan:

83. Thank you for taking the time to complete this form. We are looking forward to working with you in anticipation of your special event.
    Contact Information:

    Contact Information:

85. Name: *

86. Today's Date: *
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88. Phone #: *

89. Email: *

91. Event Name: *

92. Event Date(s): *

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