We know many of you are ready to move forward with your annual in-person conference or other larger in-person meetings. But with rising case counts, the Delta variant, and so many employees still unvaccinated, there are a lot of questions about how to host your meeting safely and mitigate risk.
Here are some tips to managing risk with your in-person gatherings:
It’s crucial to know who is vaccinated and who isn’t (yet). Many companies are only allowing fully vaccinated employees to attend in-person conferences, which we think is the safest option. But for some of you, we know in-person meetings are crucial and requiring vaccination for all attendees may not be an option. You’ll need a strong system for tracking who’s vaccinated and making sure that the right people - and only the right people - have access to that information.
If you’re allowing unvaccinated attendees, you’ll need a strong testing plan for before and after their arrival. Everyone should be tested 2-3 days before travel and upon arrival. Generally we recommend using a more accurate PCR test 2-3 days before travel, and a rapid test upon arrival before the employee interacts with other guests. There are lots of possible variations on this, including at-home tests, going to pharmacies or clinics, or hiring an on-site nurse to conduct tests. You should also decide if you’ll require tests before attendees travel home - and if you do, have a plan for what to do if people test positive.
There should be someone who will run point on everything from handling testing issues to monitoring daily wellness checks to dropping off food at someone’s hotel room door if they end up testing positive.
When people have roommates, you double the headache if someone gets sick or tests positive, because you’ll need to quarantine their roommate in a separate room for 10 days in addition to the person who’s actually sick. While a bit more expensive up front, single rooms could save a whole lot of hassle in the worst case scenario.
Regardless of vaccination status, it’s important that every attendee takes a daily wellness check that is specific to the conference and monitored by the assigned conference COVID coordinator. If someone develops symptoms, they should stay in their room, and you may want to arrange for further testing.
If someone gets sick or tests positive at the conference, you’ll need a plan in place for managing that. They can’t fly home and risk infecting everyone on their flight. Will they stay at the hotel for 10 days? Will you reserve rental cars in advance so they have the option to drive home? Who will bring them food and medicine? Have a full action plan prepared so that you’re ready if it happens.
If there has been one constant over the last year and a half, it’s change. While things are looking hopeful in terms of being able to host your in-person annual meetings, the Delta variant and summer surge we’re seeing now is more proof that COVID can uproot the best laid plans. Keep an eye on local, state, and federal regulations in the months and weeks before the conference and be ready to modify your plan accordingly.
Have other questions about planning your in-person conference? Email us at info@zerohourhealth.com or chat in the app if you’re already a client. We’ll help you come up with a plan that works for your needs and keeps your employees healthy.