HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Updated October 20, 2021
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, YAA has prioritized the health and safety of our students and staff. As we return to live 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, masking, hygiene, ventilation, and cleaning.
YAA will abide by the most recent State of Maryland K-12 School and Child Care COVID-19 Guidance (last updated August 13, 2021).
As of the date above, the following are YAA’s policies and protocols.
FOR AUDIENCE:
Audience Health & Safety Protocols
Masks are required at all times for ALL patrons and visitors regardless of vaccination status in all indoor spaces at The Clarice.
All audience members over the age of 12 will have to present one of the following at the door with their ticket to gain admittance:
Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19
OR
A negative PCR test (taken between November 3-7, 2021)
Audience members ages 11 and under are not required to present PCR tests for admission.
Please visit YAA’s Health & Safety page or more information on our current health & safety protocols for students and staff.
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 & Testing
All YAA teaching artists and staff will be fully vaccinated.
All students ages 12+ must provide one of the two following requirements before the first meeting day of each semester:
Proof of being fully vaccinated OR
A negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the first session of the semester.
*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.
In addition, all unvaccinated students ages 12+ must submit results from a weekly negative PCR test, taken within 72 hours of each week’s class/rehearsal. Rapid Antigen test results will not be accepted as conclusive. There will be NO exceptions.
Those seeking weekly PCR tests should look to a vendor like Sameday Health, which has many locations around Maryland, Virginia, and DC. They offer fast, reliable, and non-invasive PCR testing with the fastest turnaround in the area. Their standard PCR tests are available at no cost through insurance with results in under 40 hours.
Students ages 11 and under are not required to submit PCR tests.
When a student becomes age eligible to be vaccinated, they will have 2 months to comply with the above protocols for students ages 12+.
Universal Masking
All students, teachers, staff, and visitors are required to wear masks indoors at all times regardless of vaccination status.
Everyone will be required to keep their masks covering their nose and mouth at all times during rehearsals and classes.
The masks worn should be in accordance with CDC mask guidelines.
YAAOrchestra:
All strings, harps, and percussion must wear KN-95 or equivalent mask to rehearsals.
Cloth masks and blue surgical masks will not be accepted.
YAA will provide special PPE (masks and bell covers) for woodwinds and brass musicians.
Students are required to bring these and use them at rehearsal each week as well as clean them on a weekly basis.
YAACompany & YAAjunior:
YAA will provide reusable singing masks for Performance Ensembles which will be kept and sanitized on-site.
Classes:
Students and Faculty must provide their own clean and well-fitting mask for all in-person activities.
Physical Distancing
Students and staff will observe all currently recommended physical distancing protocols.
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.
Daily Health Screenings
All faculty, students, and visitors must complete a daily health screening before being allowed on our campuses.
YAA has partnered with Clear To Go, a leading health screening and management app, to assist with health management and screening. (More information appears below.)
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.
DAY TO DAY HEALTH PROTOCOLS
PRE-Arrival Protocols
Parent logs into our Clear to Go portal and completes the daily screening for their child (see below for more details.)
Students under age 18 may not complete their own daily health screening,
If student is 18+, they may conduct their own daily health screening.
If Clear to Go does not clear your child, DO NOT come to campus.
Please follow the Clear To Go directions and that of YAA staff regarding safe timing for a return to campus.
If Clear to Go does clear your child, please bring the clearance badge to show to YAA staff for scanning at drop-off.
If a parent/guardian is not driving a student to campus, the parent can send a screenshot or printout of the clearance badge for scanning at campus drop-off.
Arrival Protocols
Car pulls up to venue
Students should arrive wearing their own clean, well-fitting mask (KN-95 or equivalent is strongly recommended).
Parent/guardian checks student in by displaying their Clear To Go clearance badge which is scanned by YAA staff
If student drives themself or parent does not drive their own child, parent must provide their child with a screenshot or printout of the timestamped clearance badge for check-in.
Student proceeds in to venue
Daily Health Screenings via CLEAR TO GO
Prior to EACH AND EVERY in-person class/rehearsal, every parent/guardian MUST complete an online Health Screening for their student via our screening tool, called CLEAR TO GO.
CLEAR TO GO is a symptom, vaccination, and PCR-testing screening app that provides a guided experience to confirm that your child, their fellow students, and YAA staff are healthy enough to participate in our in-person programs. As part of YAA’s policy, all parents of students and all staff are required to use the CLEAR TO GO screener every day prior to entering the YAA program area. Because most students are minors, a parent or guardian must be responsible for creating an account for their child, and for completing it prior to each class/rehearsal.
YAA will contact all registered families who will be in-person with instructions on how to set up CLEAR TO GO in the days leading up to your first day on campus.
Once you are signed up, you will need to access the system via the Clear To Go app each and every time your child comes on campus. You will be asked to complete the health screening questions and then show the clearance badge to the YAA staff member at drop-off. Alternatively, you may complete the screening questions and send a screen shot of the clearance badge to your child so that they may show this to YAA staff at check-in.
Every student and staff member must comply with the above procedure to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 while participating in all YAA programs. There will be NO exceptions.
If CLEAR TO GO does not clear your child, please DO NOT come to campus. Please follow the CLEAR TO GO directions and that of YAA staff regarding safe timing for a return to campus.
Feel Sick? Stay Home!
Any student or staff that is feeling ill is asked to please stay home and not to come to campus. Especially with concerns about the delta variant 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 has the right to ask that student to complete a PCR test before returning to campus.
If asked to complete a COVID test, YAA community members are advised to seek out COVID-19 PCR testing. Negative results from rapid antigen tests will not be accepted as conclusive, and families will be instructed to re-test with a molecular PCR test to ensure the most accurate level of testing and a safe return to YAA programs.
If a student or staff member takes a COVID-19 test, they must remain home until negative PCR test results are received and documentation of the results must be sent to YAA staff as soon as it is available.
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 when eligible, frequent hand-washing, physical distancing, and mask wearing.
Avoid nonessential travel, particularly via means that place people in close confinement and to areas with known high COVID-19 counts.
Avoid activities that bring together large numbers of people, and even small numbers of people, who do not adhere to vaccination, PPE, and social distancing guidelines; this includes hosting any such events.
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 and their parents 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 parents of students participating in in-person activities with YAA will be required to sign permissions and waivers on our Active Portal to allow their students to participate in our in-person programming.
Students WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE without signed forms. There are NO exceptions.
These waivers will require parents 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 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 mandatory Health Screening via CLEAR TO GO and, for students ages 12+, proof of vaccination or weekly PCR tests.
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.