When people attend conferences, they are physically close to others who are generally not around for extended periods. The risk of transmission is higher for events held in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation. These types of environments allow exhaled respiratory fluids like aerosol droplets to build up in the air. It only takes one infected guest to transmit the virus to many attendees.
Testing for Conferences
Testing for COVID prior to attending conferences is a safety measure that, when combined with other mitigation strategies, can protect attendees and event staff from being exposed to COVID and reduce community spread. If you are hosting a conference, you may want to consider offering it on-site as a convenience service. This makes it as easy as possible for your guests to comply with your testing requirements.
It’s important to note that if the event organizer wants access to COVID testing results, everyone getting testing must sign a HIPPA release and authorization. This document allows the lab to share the test results of the event with you. Organizers that enable attendees to self-report their results should have them sign an attestation indicating that the results are theirs and accurate and a disclaimer that the event organizer isn’t responsible for decisions based on self-reported data.
What Else Can Event Planners Do to Keep Attendees Safe?
There is no fool-proof way to keep attendees safe during an in-person conference. However, by combining mitigation strategies with a solid COVID-19 testing plan, event staff can improve the safety of their attendees. A few additional safety tips include:
- Require event staff and attendees to wear a well-fitting mask at all times.
- Enforce a vaccination policy for event staff and attendees.
- Add disinfecting stations (i.e., hand sanitizer or handwashing. stations) throughout the venue, including at the entrances and exits.
- Require staff and attendees to stay home if they have any COVID-19 symptoms.
- When selecting a venue, pick one that is well ventilated and has UV or HEPA filters.
- Clean and disinfect common areas, especially frequently touched surfaces like tables and doorknobs.
- If serving food, opt for single-serve options.
Testing With Metriks
Metriks offers COVID-19 testing for events of all types and sizes, including conferences. To learn about our complete turnkey testing services, contact us today.
