Even though the Covid-19 vaccine rollout has so far proved to be a roaring success, and mask restrictions have been gradually eased across the country for people who have been vaccinated, we have not completely returned to normal. Hosting and planning an event in the Covid-19 era is still a challenge and it is likely that many changes brought on by the pandemic will stay with us for a long time. In this article, we will discuss how you can plan an event in the new normal.
Choose the Right Setting and Size for Your Event
One of the main challenges of hosting an event in the pandemic era is doing so at a place and with a size that minimizes the risk of contracting Covid-19. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have indicated that outdoor events carry with them a lower risk of spreading Covid-19 than indoor events. Indoor events, on the other hand, carry a higher risk. This is because Covid-19 is transmitted through aerosols travelling across the air thanks to Brownian motion. So, in confined spaces, those aerosols are likely to stay within that space, rather than dispersing, meaning that as people spend time in that confined space, they are likely to contract Covid-19. So if you are holding an event indoors, ensure that it has great ventilation and is very spacious, so that physical distancing is possible. A compromise venue may be the rooftop of a building.
Size is another issue that you must consider. Size is a function of the available space. You want each person to be able to have a 6 feet radius of space around them, to give them the chance to have good physical distancing, assuming that everyone comes from different households.
Keep the Environment Healthy
Worryingly, the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness says that Covid-19 can survive on a surface for as long as 28 days. Consequently, you should have a very rigorous cleaning and disinfection protocol to keep surfaces pristine.
The CDC suggests that a particular area of concern are frequently touched surfaces in venues. These should be cleaned and disinfected even more rigorously than the rest of the venue, because these surfaces are people are most likely to come into contact with. Think cash registers, countertops, doorknobs, grab bars, hand railings, and sink handles. Any objects that people use in common should be frequently cleaned and disinfected. If you cannot clean an object that people share, such as a drinking fountain, then you should close it off or remove it. The best corporate meeting venue will have such objects removed or closed off for the safety of attendants.
Use the Correct Disinfectants
When selecting your disinfectants, make sure that they have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and take care to follow the instructions on the label. Not only should you use the disinfectant correctly, you should also store it as per the instructions, so that it remains safe to use for as long as the product is designed to be used.
Finally, ventilation is again important, as disinfectants do not usually have a particularly sweet aroma and in confined, unventilated spaces, they can be harmful.