Business and Leisure Trade shows Exhibitions Conferences and Cultural-Events

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AIM

To provide guidance on how best to facilitate the safe resumption of cultural events, exhibitions and conferences with national and international participation, and at the same time have effective measures in place to protect the health of delegates, staff and supporting personnel by reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the hotel, accommodation, transportation, preparations, and management of the event itself.

There activities in Phase 4 will be allowed for local events only-(for residents of Qatar). International events will be added after further review of COVID-19 transmission rates. The following guidance is applicable for both national and international events.)

REGULATORY

All events with international participation should be coordinated with the appropriate authorities to obtain the necessary approvals.

INTERNATIONAL DELAGATES: ARRIVAL AND ACCOMMODATION

Quarantine on arrival:

The local organizing committee chief medical officer needs to be notified at least 24 hours before the arrival of the delegates.
All international delegates (including permanent support staff that need to accompany the delegates such as bus drivers and others) are required to enter hotel quarantine before participation in the event.
They are only allowed to leave their hotel quarantine to participate in preparation of the event sites and to participate at the actual official event as per their schedule. Further arrangement to leave the hotel needs to be coordinated with the Local Organizing Committee’s (LOC) Chief Medical Officer who need to be appointed for every event from the Ministry of Public Health and the local organizing committee.
All international delegates need to arrive to Doha 4-7 days before the start of their first participation.
International delegates and organizers are strongly recommended to stay in hotels exclusively dedicated for them, allowing no other non-event hotel guests.
External visitors are strictly prohibited from the quarantine hotels.
Delegates at hotels who are suspected to have Covid-19 should be isolated and reported to the Public Health Dept.

COVID-19 Testing:

International delegates/participants (including officials) should be tested negative for COVID-19 disease within 48 hours before entering the country.
The PCR test certificates need to be issued by hospitals/clinics in the country of origin that are endorsed by MOPH.
Upon arrival in Qatar, a COVID - 19 PCR test will be done at the airport. A negative test result will be required for the delegate to allow the delegate to continue with the intended activity.
Swabbing for the test should happen for the organizers and delegates preferably with the attendance of a representative from event administrator, or a companion.
Subsequent swabbing for COVID-19 PCR testing will be undertaken from all participants every 3 days till end of the individual or delegation participation in the event or until the completion of 2 weeks since arrival into Qatar.
The assigned medical staff when applicable, or Local Organizing Committee (LOC) staff at event venues, should check delegates temperatures each day, any temperatures above 37.8°C should be reported to the event medical lead/chief medical officer.

On arrival to the quarantine hotel:

The delegates will undergo thermal scanning and could be interviewed for possible symptoms and signs of COVID-19 disease.
If the delegate is found to be symptomatic (fever, cough, flu-like illness etc.) he/she will be referred to a designated hospital for further assessment and management accordingly.
COVID-19 positive delegates who are actively infected will not be allowed to participate.
Refusal of COVI-19 PCR testing will result in dismissal from participation in the event.

If participants arriving in a bus: 

Masks to be worn by all.
Delegates should be transported in small groups to avoid spread of infection maintaining the 1.5 meters distance all the time (maximum 50% of bus capacity using alternate seats)
Hand sanitizers should be made available on the bus.

Meals and Restaurants:

Preferably, meals should not be served during an event or be kept at minimum e.g. boxed meals.
Meals, if served, should be in accordance with MOPH guidelines for Restaurants with maintaining the 2 meters distance between dining tables and as per the rules below under “Food Outlets”.
4 people per table (1.5m between them), and 6 people per table if all from the same house hold.
No shared platters and no buffets.
Bottled water only allowed.

Use of Health Clubs, Gyms and Spas: 

The delegate may use the gym and other recreational areas at the hotel of accommodation in line with MOPH guidelines for Health Clubs, Gyms and Spas.
Customers not staying in the hotel should not be sharing the same gym, clubs of spas where the delegates are staying.
Ensure availability of rubber gloves to team staff and volunteers handling laundry, towels, etc.
Ensure that tissues and trash bin with lids are available on all buses and in all facility where the activity is taking place.
Ensure the wide availability of hand sanitizers at the hotel and at the event venue.

VENUE AND EVENT PREPARATION

All exhibitors/speakers/organizers and all participants should wear face masks all the time while at the activity venue.
All seating to be 1.5m physical distance from all directions. Remove/block unnecessary seating to ensure physical distancing compliance.
Use floor marking to ensure 1.5m physical distancing in queuing areas where participants are standing.
Stagger delegate arrival times at venue as necessary to reduce crowding.
Calculate capacity of the venue based on 9 m2 per person (including staff).
Tables/booths must be 2m distance apart and both exhibitors and participants should stay at least 1.5 m away from each other.
Each Event organizing team should have a non-contact thermometer (e.g. infrared) to screen staff and delegates temperature check on arrival.
Anyone participating in the event (exhibitors, speakers, delegates volunteer, official, suppliers, food handler etc.) should proactively and regularly check their health status (including taking their temperature, and monitoring for any symptoms).
Anyone due to participate in the event who has fever or is feeling ill should not come to the venue and be advised to go home and contact 16000 for advice.
Staff and volunteers should be briefed on the protocols for suspect and confirmed patients, infection prevention and control measures and where to find more information.
It is the responsibility of the organizer to appoint/assign staff/volunteers to monitor the compliance of participants with the preventive measures.
Option for participants to buy entry tickets online rather than in person to avoid crowding at entrance.
Provide hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol at entrances, exists, elevators, escalators, throughout the exhibition floor and other areas with commonly touched surfaces.
Washroom capacity should allow for distancing between guests. For example, consider closing alternate sinks or urinals.
Thoroughly sanitize each table after attendees leave.
Washroom sanitation and supervision should be enhanced.
Enhance cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces such as elevator buttons, railings, door handles, public seating, payment devices, microphones, podiums etc.
Event staff and volunteers should perform hand hygiene frequently.
Stagger loading schedules during setup and cleanup to enable distancing of staff, volunteers and vendors at loading docks and entryways.
Implement elevator use protocols, if applicable, to enable physical distancing.
Consider how emergency response plans may need to be modified to accommodate physical distancing.
If background music is provided within a venue, the volume should be kept to a minimum in order to facilitate conversations between vendors and attendees. Loud music may increase the need for participants to lean in closer to each other and/or raise their voices.

Preparing Delegate Packs:

Consideration of provision of individual prevention packages for the organizing team and delegates, containing:

small personal packages of disposable tissues and plastic bags for tissue disposal
small laminated prevention card with key reporting information
medical/cloth mask to wear
small packages of an alcohol-based hand wipes or hand sanitizer
small package of disposable plastic drinking cups

Consider making event information available electronically rather than printed to reduce risk.

REGULATING ENTRY TO THE EVENT

Public Attendance:

Final decision or change of the decision of public attendance is at the sole discretion of the MOPH and relevant authorities, based on the local epidemic status. The health authorities might decide based on the level of spread of infection in the community, to implement further restrictions on entry to the event.
If the number of participants in an event is large like the case with some exhibitions, then visitors should be staggered over several sessions throughout the day such that in each session the number of visitors should not exceed 30% of the capacity of the venue and where 9 m2 per participant is maintained. Start and finish time of each session can be included on the ticket so that each participant knows when their session is.
There should be adequate time gap between sessions so that those exiting the venue and those entering for the next session don’t mix.
Where possible, aisles should be wide enough to allow room for people to maintain physical distancing. Consider using one-way traffic flow of participants/visitors to help maintain distancing and to prevent people from running into each other.
Directing traffic flow using signs, ropes, floor decals, greeters, etc.

Reducing Transmission:

Masks to be worn by all staff and participants, at all times.
On arrival Check EHTERAZ App is downloaded for all participants who are 18 and above, check that the status is green to allow entry for all staff, organisers, delegates and public.
Thermal screening for employees, participants, and public, and entry only allowed for those of 37.8 degrees or less.
Capacity restricted to 30% of total capacity (maintaining minimum 1.5 m physical distance in all directions; sideways, up and down and diagonally).
Pre-Numbered seating is desirable for ease of contact tracing if needed whenever applicable and possible. Where relevant, members of the same household can sit together, but with the same 1.5m distance from others in all directions.
Pre-booking and online purchasing of tickets is preferred over walk-in, allotted and planned seating where applicable is strongly recommended.
Staggered and timed arrival for delegates and public to avoid queuing and crowding.
Gates to open early to avoid crowding.

FOOD OUTLETS

Shops at venue in areas outside the event building is allowed according to MOPH guidelines for Restaurants.
No food concessions inside the event building including conference halls, exhibition halls and stadia is allowed (masks to be worn at all times).
No food to be consumed inside the public seating areas, take-away food and drinks only allowed outside seating areas outdoor.
Food outlets restricted to take away in disposable packaging.
Queues to comply with the minimum of 1.5m physical distancing precautions – mark floor to ensure compliance, and provide staff or volunteers to ensure public compliance.
Pre-prepared, grab and go food preferred to shorten waiting time for customers.
No buffet food served in the event venues.
Bottled water only.
Compliance with other MOPH Restaurants Guidelines is mandatory.

INFECTION, PREVENTION, AND CONTROL

Regular testing of participants/staff as per MoPH guidance (event organizers may be asked to organize and fund the tests).
Hand washing and/or hand sanitizers at multiple locations in the event facility and accommodation. Provide disposable hand towels/tissues. No air dryers. Alcohol sanitizers should be easily accessible and should be spread throughout the venue.
Where appropriate, eliminate or reduce the number of items at the event that will be handled by multiple people.
Reduce or eliminate programs, flyers, handouts, promotional items (such as writing pads, clipboards and pens) and prizes.
Ask vendors to avoid handling samples, promotional items or brochures to attendees.
Use contactless payment/ticketing and avoid cash payments where possible. Practice hand hygiene between tasks if required to handle cash.
Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after handling a shared item.
Ensure good hygiene signage across all venues, conference rooms, training facilities, etc.
Ensure adequate ventilation which allows for fresh air. Refer to MOPH HVAC Guidance.
Avoid physical contact e.g. hugging, handshakes etc.
Frequent cleaning and disinfection of regularly touched surfaces mandatory.
Adhere to MoPH Environmental Cleaning Guidance.
Toilet capacity restricted to 30%, cleaning and disinfection between customers.
No spitting, no cheering, no live choir and no live singing.
An isolation room/space identified to hold any symptomatic person found at the venue while awaiting patient transport to a medical facility is necessary.
Availability of a medical post and designated personnel on site is mandatory to help assess cases and potential other illness and injuries.
Ensure that vendors, exhibitors and attendees greet each other in ways that do not include touching; discourage shaking hands and other types of physical contact.
Barriers, signs, floor markings and verbal announcements can be used to support physical distancing.

TICKET MANAGEMENT

Ensure tickets are electronic and scannable, avoid paper tickets if possible.
Avoid handling cash at ticket counters and use digital ticketing and purchase.
Encourage tickets purchased online prior to attendance to reduce queuing at entrances.
If the option of onsite ticket purchasing/registration is made available then the floor where participants queue should be marked with signs that are at least 1.5 meters apart to prevent crowding.
Tickets should include the date and time of the booked session if there are more than one session per day.
Maintain a registry of attendees and the sessions they attended to facilitate contract tracing if needed in case of clusters.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

Post signs in highly visible locations (e.g. entrances, restrooms) that promote everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread of germs (such as by properly washing hands and properly wearing a face covering and keeping safe distance). Signs should include visual cues (such as clear, easy-to-understand pictures demonstrating the healthy behaviors) at the appropriate reading and literacy level.
Consider making announcements during the event about safety measures and protocols.

Develop and make available risk communication on:

All staff understand the importance of COVID-19 measures, and what they are.
All delegates are provided with information to keep themselves and others safe from COVID-19 transmission.
Clinical features of COVID-19 and preventive measures, especially respiratory etiquette and hand-hygiene practices.
The criteria for asking individuals with symptoms to leave the venue or retreat to a designated area.
Information on minimum 1.5m physical distancing.
Information on the use of face coverings and medical masks.
The meaning and practical implications of quarantine, self-isolation and self-monitoring in the context of the event, e.g. not attending.

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Vulnerable groups are advised not to attend the event.
Consider options for virtual attendance for individuals who are at increased risk for more serious illness if contracting COVID-19, such as the elderly or people who have pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, COPD, cancer, dementia, stroke, liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and immunodeficiencies.
Ensure that participants with disabilities are taken into consideration when implementing measures to mitigate risk of Covid-19 transmission.

COVID-19 Services Assistant خدمة المساعدة الخاصة بكوفيد-19