# COVID-19 Policies for In-Person Events

Last updated: 2022-08-10
URL for this page: https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/covid-policy
URL for this site: https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/how-we-work

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[Invest in Open Infrastructure](https://investinopen.org/) (IOI) seeks to provide a safe and healthy environment for all meeting and events participants, as well as staff and contractors while traveling for IOI-related engagements. With this goal in mind, IOI has complied with guidance from local, state, and federal entities and developed its own policies and procedures for employees, grantees, partners and guests when attending in-person events.

This document lists the COVID-19 related policies and safety measures that are in effect for attending in-person convenings hosted by IOI in 2022. We require the acknowledgement of these policies during registration in advance of the hosted event, and for every participant to abide by these policies during the event. For any questions related to this policy, please reach out to Kaitlin Thaney, IOI’s Executive Director at [[e-mail].](mailto:[e-mail])

## Vaccine Policy Statement 

IOI believes that vaccines are one of the most powerful tools to fight COVID-19 and save lives. Requiring vaccines is the clearest way to create a safe environment for those who attend IOI-sponsored meetings, and it aligns with the work we are doing. As such, IOI requires that all participants in its in-person meetings and events be “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccination. This means receiving all recommended doses of the primary vaccination series and any vaccine booster doses recommended by the CDC. By registering for and participating in an event hosted by IOI, participants certify that they are up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, or will be up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, by the date of the event.

IOI accepts full vaccination by vaccines that are approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and vaccines that are listed for Emergency Use (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO). An overview of these accepted vaccines can be found on the CDC website. We recognize that not everyone may be able to get a vaccine due to medical conditions or religious beliefs. To seek a reasonable accommodation to attend in-person meetings, please email [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]) to discuss your request before the registration deadline of the hosted event. This information will be used by IOI to determine eligibility for an exemption. 

## Validating Vaccination Status 

Vaccine records validation will take place will take place in advance of the event, and be coordinated by IOI Operations staff.  

## Validation by IOI Staff Member 

Upon arrival and check in at the event location, participants must show an IOI staff member or representative a government ID or similar, along with proof of vaccination. Acceptable proof of vaccination status includes a physical or digital copy of: 

- The record of immunization from a health care provider or pharmacy. 
- The COVID-19 CDC or WHO vaccination card. 
- Medical records documenting the vaccination. 
- Immunization records from a public health, state, or tribal immunization information system. 
- Any other official documentation that contains: 
- Personal identifiers (full name plus at least one other identifier such as date of birth or passport number) that match the personal identifiers on the participant’s passport or ID card. 
- Name of official source issuing the record (e.g., public health agency, government agency, or other authorized vaccine provider). 
- Vaccine manufacturer and date(s) of vaccination.

## COVID-19 Testing 

IOI requires that all participants take a COVID-19 test upon arrival at the venue. IOI will supply either home test kits or tests will be administered by an onsite vendor. Proof of a negative test result is required as a condition of participation in the convening, including social events such as welcome receptions, and meals. 

We ask that while traveling, in advance of in-person gatherings, that participants seek to minimize their exposure before and after testing prior to joining others for the IOI-hosted event. This includes masking indoors while in transit and/or hotels, eating outdoors, and being mindful of other indoor gatherings based on the COVID numbers in the location traveled to. 

IOI will reimburse the cost of COVID-19 tests that are required for participants to travel to the meeting venue and from the meeting venue back home, and provide them for participants wherever possible.

All medical information collected from individuals, including vaccination information, test results, and any other information obtained as a result of testing, will be treated in accordance with applicable laws and policies on confidentiality and privacy, and in accordance with [IOI’s Privacy Policy](https://investinopen.org/ioi-privacy-policy/). 

## Face Coverings 

To practice community care, IOI requires that all participants of its in-person convenings wear face coverings in indoor public spaces during the convening while not actively eating or drinking. Outdoor options for dining and gathering will be provided. 

Face coverings must: 

1\. Completely cover the nose and mouth 

2\. Be a well-fitting KN95 mask, N95 mask, a disposable surgical mask, or be made with two or more layers of a breathable fabric that is tightly woven (i.e., fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source) 

3\. Be secured to the head with ties, ear loops, or elastic bands that go behind the head. 4. Fit snugly over the nose, mouth, and chin with no large gaps on the outside of the face 5. Be a solid piece of material without slits, exhalation valves, visible holes, punctures, or other openings 

IOI encourages meeting attendees to bring sufficient masks to last for the duration of the meeting. However, IOI will also make available additional masks by request. Refusing to mask will result in immediate removal from the meeting with no reimbursement following a warning. 

## Testing Positive for COVID-19 

If any participant receives a positive COVID-19 test result either during or within 48 hours after the conclusion of a IOI-sponsored convening, they should notify members of the Operations team via [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]) or [phone] (Kaitlin Thaney). Our team will connect with the participant to offer support, ask some questions about their presence at the event and who they may have been in contact with, discuss travel plans and any isolation/quarantine guidance, and provide next steps.

A participant who tests positive for COVID-19 should monitor symptoms and if they become severe (such as persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, or bluish lips or face), seek medical attention. 

A participant who has COVID-19 must not enter the event and may only return onsite after being cleared by a member of the IOI Operations team.

## No Guests 

IOI will reserve single-occupancy rooms for meeting participants that will lodge at the meeting venue and IOI does not allow for external guests, such as family members, to accompany meeting attendees during the meeting as long as these COVID-19 policies are in effect. 

In the event participants need to travel with dependents for childcare purposes, please reach out to [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]) to discuss with the organizing team. Any care dependents over 5 years of age that have received specific written approval from IOI to accompany meeting participants, will have to abide by the policies set forth in this document.

## Venue Policies and Safety Measures 

IOI requires all meeting participants to abide by the COVID-19 policies and safety measures that have been put in place by the meeting venue, including any policies that are in place in addition to the policies set forth by IOI in this document. When any venue and IOI policies do not align, the strictest safety policy will prevail. For example, if a venue does not specifically require indoor masking, meeting attendees of IOI will still need to wear a mask in indoor public places while not actively eating or drinking, as outlined in this document. 

## Changes 

Because guidelines and recommendations are regularly being updated at the local, state and federal level, IOI may make changes to these policies on limited notice as circumstances develop. IOI will follow all local, state, and federal guidelines, and if at any time this document is not in compliance with the latest guidelines, those guidelines will supersede the policies in this document. However, IOI reserves the right to impose more stringent requirements than those of local, state and federal entities (such as mandatory mask-wearing for all attendees) at its convenings. 

## Acknowledgements 

By registering for and participating in any in-person IOI meeting or event, participants acknowledge and understand the following: 

A. Participation in the event includes possible exposure to and illness from infectious diseases including but not limited to COVID-19. While particular rules and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of serious illness and death does exist and may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of IOI employees, event participants, vendors, and those coming into contact with those individuals;

B. Participants understand that, although IOI can put mechanisms in place to minimize the risk of infectious diseases, IOI cannot eliminate the risks associated with its events. Participants knowingly and freely assume all such risks related to illness and infectious diseases, such as COVID-19; 

C. Participants hereby knowingly assume the risk of injury, harm, and loss associated with the event, including any injury, harm, and loss caused by the negligence, fault, or conduct of any kind on the part of IOI; 

D. Participants acknowledge and agree that, in the event of a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 being reported to IOI as a result of any event, IOI may be required to share personal participant information internally or with public health authorities, including for the purposes of potential contact tracing; and 

E. Participants agree to comply with all protocols established by IOI in connection with the event they are attending, including any COVID-19 protocols and the policies laid out in this document.

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## See also
* Archived copy of this page (via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine): https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://hackmd.io/@investinopen/covid-policy

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This page first published: 2022-10-26

###### tags: `about-us` `policies`

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