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CHUSY's COvid-19 Protocols

Covid Protocols for In-Person Events

As USY events begin to return in-person, we want to ensure that we are taking every possible precaution to protect our teens and staff against the spread of COVID-19. USY’s medical committee has developed the following protocols for all USY staff and participants.

Until now, we were working towards mitigations for a 0 transmissible event, however with the changes due to Omicron and the variant being transmissible even with vaccination (though still less so), we are working towards mitigations with a risk tolerance equivalent to school. Anyone with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk, or living with someone who is high risk, should carefully evaluate risk and discuss with their personal health care provider before attending.

Day events

Facility Hosting the Event:

  • In person events may take place indoors or outdoors.

  • We can go to communal venues (bowling alleys, amusement parks, Starbucks, ice cream etc...) as long as we can follow all of our other guidelines. Waterparks are currently off limits due to the lack of ability to mask.

Personal Risk Mitigation: 

  • We strongly encourage that everyone be up-to-date on their COVID vaccination

  • Events with only those 12 and older (all participants eligible to be vaccinated and are) masks can be removed when outdoors provided that social distancing of at least 3-6 feet can be maintained at all times.

  • Masks must be non-cloth masks 

Food:

  • Food will be allowed with the preference being for individually wrapped food but communal/buffet food will be allowed with certain rules

    • ​When indoors, participants may unmask to eat but must be at least 6 feet apart when eating.

    • If serving communal food (buffet), all participants must be masked when going up to get food.  

    • Self service buffets are permitted with supervision with hand sanitizer required for each participant at the beginning of the line.

Pre-Program Screening

Prior to each program there will be a COVID screening, which will include the following questions:

  • Have you had any known exposure to someone who tested positive or had presumed COVID in the past 7 days?

    • If yes and asymptomatic, you can take a rapid antigen (home or medical facility) test and attend if negative.

    • Test must be taken the day of the program with a picture of the results with your initials and date on the test or medical report sent to staff.

  • Has anyone in your household tested positive for COVID in the past 10 days?

    • If yes, you can attend only if a rapid antigen test (home or medical facility) is negative on Day 5 or later since your last exposure to that household contact.

    • Test must be taken the day of the program with a picture of the results with your initials and date on the test or medical report sent to staff.

  • Do you have any of the following symptoms?

    • Fever of 100.4 or higher,  chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea

    • If you have any symptoms, do not come to the program.

overnight events

Facility Hosting the Convention:

  • The facility is one that has the ability to isolate group in area of hotel or camp to avoid mixing with public as much as possible

  • The facility allows for the ability to avoid public elevators either through stairs or use of lower floors (with staff arranging for luggage transportation through a non-shared elevator)

  • Facility enforces mask mandates indoors and USY groups avoid public areas where unmasked people may be at all times.

  • Facility has either outdoor or large, well-ventilated rooms available for activities

  • During overnight events there will currently be no off-site events (i.e., theme parks).

  • If using a hotel, the hotel room maximum occupancy will be four per room.  When possible, we will offer families an option to have only 2 in a room for an additional fee.

  • When utilizing a camp facility with cabins, beds will be spaced apart to allow for proper social distancing

  • Any Facility staff interacting with USY staff or participants must be masked and preferably immunized.

 

Location/Cities Conventions are Held in:

  • Local and state laws must permit mask and vaccine mandates for private organizations

  • If utilizing a hotel or other venue that does not allow for exclusive use the location must be in an area with low local positivity rates

  • We will give preference when hosting events to locations like camps/retreat centers where we can be exclusive groups

Communication:

  • All of our policies regarding COVID protocols will be communicated to parents prior to convention

  • Parents/guardians, participants and staff will all have to sign off on an agreement prior to convention. This agreement will include: 

    • Attestation of COVID policies and waivers.

    • Attestation of no known exposures in past 14 days,  including school exposures, (exposure as a close contact < 6ft, with or without mask, for more than 15 minutes.)

    • Attestation of no current symptoms

 

Personal Risk Mitigation:

  • Vaccine mandate for all participants regardless if prior COVID-19 infection or not. 

  • Mask mandate policy indoors except for sleeping, inside personal room and eating

  • Mask mandate outdoors when physical distancing (3-6 ft)  is not possible

  • Masks must be non-cloth masks 

  • Hand sanitizer available throughout the convention

 

Food:

  • Food preparers must be masked.

  • All people masked during serving and when getting food. 

  • Hand sanitizer to enter buffet line

  • Hand sanitizer on all tables to use prior to eating or at end of the buffet line before going to tables to eat.

  • When possible, eating tables will be set with 50% occupancy at eating tables, to allow for sufficient spacing during eating.   

 

Testing:

  • All participants will need to show proof of a negative rapid test within 24 hours of arrival.  Each participant must upload or bring a copy of the test results with them to be admitted to the convention.

  • All participants must also show proof of a negative rapid test taken the morning of the program 

  • These rapid tests can be at home tests 

 

Sick Policy:

  • If a person at convention develops symptoms of COVID-19 they must be isolated and picked up as quickly as possible after discussion with staff and parents.  Expectation is that a sick child will be picked up within 3-4 hours when logistically possible based on transportation distance. Parents will be signing off on this agreement as part of registration for the convention.

  •  Sick participants will not be able to take the convention group bus home and must be picked up (staff will remain with the teen until they can be picked up)

  • Roommates of someone who is showing symptoms (but not yet showing as positive):

    • Will eat at a separate table from other participants

    • Families will be notified in the event of a positive test with a request to have their child tested within 3-5 days following the exposure

  • If a participant goes home because they are sick, and tests positive within the next 3-5 days they must notify USY so that others can be notified 

 

Additional Supplies: 

USY Staff already bring a basic medical kit consisting of first aid supplies, basic over the counter medications such as Tylenol, Advil, Benadryl , hydrocortisone cream, etc.

  • In addition to this basic medical kit USY staff will also have at each convention the following:

    • Extra disposable 3 ply masks for those who need

    • KN95 masks for staff who need 

    • Nitrile gloves

    • Infrared non touch thermometer

    • Sanitizing wipes

    • Trash bags

    • Paper towels

    • Plenty of hand sanitizer bottles (both large refills and smaller bottles to have throughout)

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