HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Updated September 18, 2022
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, YAA has prioritized the health and safety of our students and staff. As we continue our in-person programming, we are actively monitoring conditions and recommendations from local and CDC officials and will continue to update our policies as circumstances require. Safety measures include vaccination, boosting, testing, masking, hygiene, ventilation, and cleaning.
As of the date above, the following are YAA’s policies and protocols.
FOR AUDIENCES:
Audience Health & Safety Protocols
YAA currently follows the health and safety protocols in place our venues.
At this time, masks are optional but encouraged inside our performance and rehearsal venues.
Audience members will no longer be asked to show proof of vaccination to enter our venues, but we encourage everyone to stay up-to-date on their COVID vaccinations and boosters.
Ticket purchasers are responsible for communicating these rules to whomever they provide tickets. Performance ticket holders who do not comply with these policies will not be admitted with no refund granted.
FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF:
Overview of Health & Safety Protocols due to COVID-19
Vaccination & Boosting (Updated 09/09/2022)
All YAA faculty and staff will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Daytime programs (Summer and School Year):
All students are highly encouraged to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.
Overnight programs (Summer):
All students must provide one of the two following requirements before the first meeting day of each session or production:
Proof of being fully vaccinated OR
A negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the first session of each session.
*Fully vaccinated" means that either 14 days have passed since receiving the second dose of FDA or WHO authorized double-dose vaccines, or that 14 days have passed since receiving the sole dose of FDA or WHO authorized single-dose vaccines.
Being up to date on booster doses of the COVID vaccine once eligible is also strongly recommended per current CDC guidelines.
Masking Protocols (Updated 09/18/2022)
Masks will be optional for staff and students.
All students, teachers, staff, and visitors are welcome to wear a KN-95, KF-94, N95 (or equivalent) mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
We ask everyone to respect the choices that families and faculty make about wearing masks while on campus. Parents should have conversations with their children about expectations for mask wearing, as well as supporting others who make a different choice.
Students and staff will be asked to mask if they have had a close exposure to someone who tested positive for Covid, either inside or outside their home.
YAA reserves the right to require students and staff to use masks at any time if it is deemed in the best interests of the community.
All participants and staff must carry their own masks at all times in case masking is required.
When utilized, the masks worn should be in accordance with CDC mask guidelines.
Testing & Isolation (Updated 09/01/2022)
YAA reserves the right to require all participants and staff members to complete a PCR or rapid antigen test at any time to best protect the community.
If a student or staff member becomes ill and symptomatic, YAA reserves the right to send them home to isolate.
A parent/guardian must make themselves available to bring their child home.
YAA will be able to isolate an ill student/staff member temporarily only until they are able to leave the campus as soon as possible.
Returning to YAA after COVID (Updated 09/18/2022)
According to the CDC, the minimum isolation period for individuals with a confirmed case of mild to moderate COVID is now five (5) full days after the onset of symptoms, which is considered Day 0.
For asymptomatic individuals who test positive, the isolation period is a 5 full days after the day of the test, which is considered Day 0.
At YAA we have determined that students and faculty members may return to school on Day 6 or later as long as:
They have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-lowering medications;
AND their symptoms are improving;
AND they have a negative antigen test result on Day 5 or later.
All returning students and staff will be asked to mask through Day 10 after testing positive regardless of when they are able to rejoin in person.
Mandatory Reporting
Each member of our community agrees to follow our community commitments, including notifying YAA if sick, getting vaccinated when eligible, and getting tested if not feeling well.
In addition, all members of the our community must notify YAA staff if they:
Have a confirmed case of COVID-19
Have a household member with COVID-19
Present symptoms or suspect they have been exposed.
Cleaning & Hygiene
Hand sanitizer will be in use regularly and high touch surfaces will be cleaned regularly at all of our venues.
All YAA venues have MERV 13 filtration in place, with a minimum of 3 full air exchanges per hour.
In addition, YAA will also provide additional H13 True HEPA air purification units in our class/rehearsal spaces.
YAA COVID-19 Compliance Officers (CCO)
Multiple YAA staff members will be certified COVID-19 Compliance Officers (CCO) to serve as the point person for all COVID-19 related issues. CCO's are a new position required on professional film and theater sets through this pandemic state of emergency to help ensure a safe workspace with transparent health/safety policies for situations where social distancing is not always possible.
Feel Sick? Stay Home!
Any student or staff that is feeling ill is asked to please stay home and not to come to campus (even if you received a negative rapid test result). Especially with concerns about the delta and omicron variants of COVID-19, we do not want to take any chances with everyone’s health & safety, and we kindly ask that you stay home if feeling at all under the weather, even if symptoms are not those traditionally associated with COVID-19.
If a student stays home for any sort of illness, YAA reserves the right to ask that student to complete a PCR or rapid antigen test before returning to campus.
What to Do if Exposed to COVID
Anyone coming to campus who has been exposed to a person with a confirmed case of COVID should:
Monitor for symptoms of illness for 10 full days following exposure to the COVID-positive individual
AND test by PCR or rapid antigen test on Day 5 following exposure to the COVID-positive individual
AND wear a well-fitted mask when indoors through Day 10 following exposure to the COVID-positive individual.
In all cases after exposure, if you start to experience any symptoms of illness, you should stay home until your symptoms improve and test daily by rapid antigen test to ensure that you are not also positive for COVID.
Returning After COVID
According to OSSE and CDC, the minimum isolation period for individuals with a confirmed case of mild to moderate COVID is now five (5) full days after the onset of symptoms, which is considered Day 0.
For asymptomatic individuals who test positive, the isolation period is a 5 full days after the day of the test, which is considered Day 0.
At YAA, students and faculty members may return to out community on Day 6 or later as long as:
They have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-lowering medications;
AND their symptoms are improving;
AND they have a negative antigen test result on Day 5 or later.
We will require those returning to school to wear a mask on campus through Day 10.
COMMUNITY PLEDGE & WAIVERS
All YAA students and families are asked to comply to the following community pledge:
WE PLEDGE TO:
Adhere to YAA’s health and safety protocols while on-site and create continuity between YAA and home by reinforcing practices known to limit the spread of COVID-19, including: vaccination and boosting when eligible, testing when required, frequent hand-washing, and mask wearing when appropriate.
Avoid nonessential travel to areas with known seasonal high COVID-19 counts.
Pursue vaccination for the seasonal flu as it becomes available to limit transmission of that illness.
Speak up, within our circles of influence, in support of these principles, knowing that we are each essential to the continued health of the YAA community.
Contact Tracing Information
All students (or parents of participants under the age of 18) must agree to provide up-to-date contact information and to participate in the contact tracing process if a YAA community member tests positive for COVID-19.
Permission & Waivers
All participants (or parents of participants under the age of 18) taking part in in-person activities with YAA will be required to sign permissions and waivers on our Active Portal to for participation in our in-person programming.
Students WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE without signed forms. There are NO exceptions.
These waivers will require participants to acknowledge:
YAA will be holding the Programs on public and/or private property that is not owned or operated by YAA and, that, therefore, YAA has no control over.
The contagious nature of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 and that the CDC and many other public health authorities recommend practicing physical distancing.
YAA has put in place and informed students and parents of reasonable preventative measures and procedures consistent with CDC Guidelines to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 during the Programs (the “Procedures”), including mandatory Health Screenings and vaccination when eligible.
YAA cannot guarantee that a student or staff member will not become infected with the Coronavirus/COVID-19 directly or indirectly through participation in the Programs.
The risk of becoming exposed to and/or infected by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of me/my child and/or others, including, but not limited to, YAA staff, agents and/or other YAA students or their parents.
By participating, a student may thereby be increasing risk of exposure to the Coronavirus/COVID-19.
All students must comply with the YAA Procedures to reduce risk of spread while participating in the Programs, including recommended vaccination and masking when required.
Refusing to participate in the Procedures will result in dismissal from the Program without refund.
By participating in the Programs, the student/parent assumes all of the risk of injury and illness.