[Updated March 11th, 2020]
Concerning the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Founder Institute has adopted a strategy to stop the spread, and flatten the infection curve.
When unchecked, the virus has a massive spike in infections that overwhelms medical systems and targeting the vulnerable elderely and sick population. Revised social behaviors at events can help to stop the spread, allowing humanity the necessary time to address the virus and recover.
We have five recommendations for anyone attending events to stop the spread. For March and April of 2020, we recommended avoiding larger gatherings with multinational attendance. The Founder Institute organizes around 10,000 events per year, so we take this seriously.
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Contact - Please avoid physical contact at events, such as handshakes or hugs.
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Hygiene - Please avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth and nose when in proximity to others.
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Coughing - Please cough into disposable paper and leave an event if you are coughing regularly.
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Sanitation - Please wash your hands before and after events and, if possible, sanitize the area around you.
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Attendance - If you are sick, if you have a relative in your home that is sick with a fever or cough, or if you or a relative have traveled to an infected area*, please do not attend the event.
You can also download a powerpoint slide version, or a flyer version of these best practices.
These five actions will help to stop the spread of the Coronavirus at events. “Events" are defined as any gathering, from a few people meeting in a coffeeshop to a few dozen professionals attending a small trade show. If you get sick or learn about someone becoming sick who is in close contact to you, please notify appropriate parties at recent events that you attended.
In the end, be proactive and stay safe. The Coronavirus is a serious matter. Take responsibility to create your own best practices, and please consider the safety of others.
For Event Organizers
Large events in infected areas and large events with multinational participation should be posponed until at least late May or June of 2020. We have three additional recommendations for those who are organizing events, hosting events or providing facilities for events:
- Social Distancing - Please support greater spacing between participants, and please limit attendance volume to avoid overcrowding.
- Sanitization - Please ensure that spaces are sufficiently disinfected before an event and between events.
- Supplies - Please have sanitizer, wipes, disposable paper and other supplies on hand for the safety of participants.
* Infected area is any place where the novel Coronavirus is known to spread from, such as China, Iran, Italy and certain cruise ships. If uncertain, then a definition is a place where confirmed cases exceed 100 AND there is a steady or increasing growth rate of infections.
