STATUTORY RULES AND ORDERS

No. 52 of 2020

Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (No. 16) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020

In exercise of the power conferred by section 5 of the Emergency Powers Act, Cap. 19.02, the Governor-General, makes the following Regulations:

[Published 18^th December 2020 – Extra-Ordinary Gazette No. 91 of 2020]

1. Citation.

These Regulations may be cited as the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (No. 16) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020.

• Interpretation.

In these Regulations “principal Regulations” mean the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (No. 16) Regulations, No. 47 of 2020.

• Amendment of regulation 6.

The principal Regulations is amended in regulation 6 by replacing it with the following new regulation 6

“6. Restriction on social activities and protocol for mass events.

• No person shall host, attend or visit
  • a private party;
  • a wedding, subject to regulations 5 and 10;
  • a banquet, ball or reception;
  • any other ceremony in any facility or public place;
  • a funeral, subject to regulations 5 and 10;
  • a meeting of a fraternal society, private or social club or civic association or organization;
  • any public beach, subject to regulations 5 and 11; or
  • any other type of social event, except with the written permission of the Commissioner of Police in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer.
  • Pursuant to sub-regulation (1) and Schedule VI, the Commissioner of Police, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer, may grant permission for a mass event as follows
    • permission for a small event, where the number of persons gathered shall not exceed fifty persons;
    • permission for a medium size event, where the number of persons gathered shall not exceed one hundred persons; or
    • permission for a large size event, where the number of persons gathered shall not exceed one hundred and fifty persons.
  • Notwithstanding sub-regulations (1) and (2), all applications shall be denied or revoked and all social gatherings and events shall be discontinued if there is a local COVID-19 Outbreak or an Outbreak progresses with the occurrence of isolated clusters of cases or community transmission.
  • The protocol providing the guidelines for mass events is set out in theSchedule VI.
• Amendment of principal Regulations.

The principal Regulations is amended by adding a new Schedule VI immediately after Schedule V as follows

“Schedule VI

(regulation 6)

Mass Events Protocol

Table of Contents

1. Preamble……….. 2

2. What is a Mass Gathering or Event?………………………… 3

3. Guiding principles………………………… 3

4. Event Promoters / Entertainers / Organizers Requirements…….. 4

5. Promoting Healthy Behaviours that Reduce Spread 5

6. Staying Home when Appropriate.. 5

7. Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette……………. 5

8. Wearing Face Masks……………….. 5

9. Adequate Supplies………………………… 6

10.  Maintaining Healthy Environments…….. 6

11.  Physical Barriers and Guides………… 7

12.  Food Service.. 7

13.  Shared Objects 8

14.  Maintaining Healthy Operations 8

15.  Communication Systems…………….. 8

16.  Preparing for When Someone Gets Sick………………….. 8

1.       Preamble

In light of the significant risk of the COVID-19 virus entering the Federation undetected. We must remain vigilant and continue using the known non-pharmaceutical measures to contain the virus thus avoiding community spread.

In that vein, the World Health Organisation advised that the three C’s: crowds, close spaces and close contact settings must be avoided in an effort to significantly reduce the risk of community spread. This protocol provides for certain proactive steps to prevent or reduce the risk of community spread.  One such measure is the cancellation or limitation of mass events.

2.       What is a Mass Gathering or Event?

In this protocol “mass event” refers to an event where the number of people it brings together is so large that it has the potential to strain the planning and response resources of the health system in the community where it takes place. Consideration must be given to the location and duration of the event as well as the number of participants.

3.       Guiding principles

1. Permission must be obtained from the Office of the Commissioner of Police in consultation with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer to host mass gatherings.
2. Events should NOT be advertised until permission is obtained from the Office of the Commissioner of Police.
3. A gathering refers to a planned or spontaneous event, indoors or outdoors, with a small number of people participating or a large number of people in attendance such as a community event or gathering, concert, festival, conference, parade, wedding, or sporting event.
4. The more people an individual interacts with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the potential risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and COVID-19 spreading.
5. The risk of COVID-19 spreading at events and gatherings increases as follows:
   1. Lowest risk: Virtual-only activities, events, and gatherings.
   1. More risk: Smaller outdoor and in-person gatherings in which individuals from different households remain spaced at least 6 feet apart, wear masks, do not share objects, and come from the same local area (e.g., community, town, city, or county).
   1. Higher risk: Medium-sized in-person gatherings that are adapted to allow individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and with attendees coming from outside the local area.
   1. Highest risk: Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area.
6. There will be a cap on the number of persons who can attend mass gatherings/ social events.
7. In addition to the number of persons scheduled to attend, the Office of the Commissioner of Police will factor in music, dancing, sale and use of alcohol and the duration of the event in making its decision.
8. Consideration will also be given to whether the event is indoor or outdoor with a more favourable look on outdoor events.
9. Event sizes will fall into three (3) categories based on the number of persons attending (not inclusive of staff).

No	Category	Number of Persons
1	Small	25 -50
2	Medium	51 – 100
3	Large	101 – 150

1. The maximum cap on events is 150 persons.
2. Small gatherings of family and friends of under 25 persons do not require permission from the Commissioner of Police.
3. Permission will not be given for any indoor large event of over 100 as the risk of virus spread is greater in these situations.
4. The Taskforce will consider the square footage of the venue for small, medium, and large size indoor events.
5. A minimum of 30 square feet for the venues of indoor events will be required for adequate social distancing. This will also be required for outdoor events.
6. A visit will be made to the site to confirm the total square footage submitted on the request for a venue.
7. The outdoor event locations will be visited to determine if proper social distancing can be done to host the event.
8. The nature of the event will be a contributing factor when considering approval.

4.       Event Promoters / Entertainers / Organizers Requirements

1. The event promoters/entertainers/organizers must submit a Tax Clearance Certificate and a valid Business License from the Inland Revenue Department along with an application to hold event.
2. The event promoters/entertainers/organizers are required to submit a written outline of the applicable protocols for hosting the event. This would include a layout of the venue and a security plan for the event.
3. The event promoters/entertainers/organizers will be required to submit their application online via the website provided by the Police.
4. The event promoters/entertainers/organizers must submit their applications at least 15 days prior to the event.
5. The commissioner of Police will advise on the security requirements for the events based on the nature and size of the event.
6. The applicable fees for the application to hold an event must be paid to the office of the Commissioner of Police at the time of application.
7. A response to the application will be given within 3 to 4 days of application.

Please note that if the local COVID-19 Outbreak progresses with the occurrence of isolated clusters of cases and community transmission – all social gatherings and events will be stopped until the COVID-19 outbreak is contained.

5.       Promoting Healthy Behaviours that Reduce Spread

• Event planners must implement the strategies provided for in these Regulations to encourage behaviours that reduce the spread of COVID-19 among staff and attendees.

6.       Staying Home when Appropriate

• Advise employees and attendees to remain in isolation/ quarantine if they tested positive or had recent close contact with a person who was positive or is suspected of having COVID-19 like symptoms.

7.       Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette

• Require frequent employee hand washing (e.g., before, during, and after taking tickets; after touching garbage) with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and increase monitoring to ensure adherence.
• If soap and water are not readily available, employees may use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol and rub their hands until dry.
• Mandate staff to cover the mouth and nose with tissue when coughing and sneezing.
• Used tissues should be thrown in the trash and hands washed immediately with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Mandate attendees to wash hands often and to cover coughs and sneezes.
• Attendees often exchange handshakes, fist bumps, and high-fives at meetings and sporting events. Signs (physical and/or electronic) must be displayed to prevent these actions during the event.

8.       Wearing Face Masks

• Mandate the use of face masks among staff.
• Masks are most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult (e.g., when moving within a crowd or audience).
• Advise staff that masks must not be worn by: o Babies or children younger than 2 years old o Anyone who has trouble breathing

o Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance

• Mandate attendees ahead of the event to bring and use masks at the event. Masks are strongly encouraged in settings where individuals might raise their voice (e.g., shouting, chanting, singing).

9.       Adequate Supplies

• Mandate that sinks and enough supplies are accessible for people to clean their hands and cover their coughs and sneezes.
• Supplies include soap, water, a way to dry hands (e.g., disposable paper towels, tissues, hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, disinfectant wipes, masks (as feasible), and no-touch/foot pedal trash cans (preferably covered)

10.    Maintaining Healthy Environments

Event planners must implement the following strategies to maintain healthy environments.

Cleaning and Disinfection

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces within the venue between uses as much as possible—for example, door handles, sink handles, drinking fountains, grab bars, hand railings, and cash registers.
• Clean and disinfect shared objects between uses—for example, payment terminals, tables, countertops, bars, and condiment holders.
• Mandate closing areas such as drinking fountains that cannot be adequately cleaned and disinfected during an event.
• Develop a schedule for increased, routine cleaning and disinfection.
• If transport vehicles like buses are used by the event staff, drivers must practice all safety actions and protocols as indicated for other staff— for example, washing hands often and wearing masks and maintaining social distance of bus riders.
• Use disposable gloves when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing of trash.

Restrooms

• Mandate limiting the number of people who occupy the restroom at one time to allow for social distancing.
• Do not allow lines or crowds to form near the restroom without maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from other people.
• Post signs or markers to help attendees maintain the appropriate social distance of at least 6 feet.
• Ensure that open restrooms are:
  • Operational with functional toilets.
  • Cleaned and disinfect regularly (at least every half-hour), particularly high-touch surfaces such as faucets, toilets, stall doors, doorknobs, countertops, diaper changing tables, and light switches.
  • Stocked with enough supplies for handwashing, including soap and water,  a way to dry hands (e.g., paper towels, hand dryer), tissues, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol (for staff and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer), tissues, and no-touch/foot pedal trash cans (preferably covered).
• If you are providing portable toilets, also provide portable handwashing stations and ensure that they remain stocked throughout the duration of the event. If possible, provide hand sanitizer stations that are touch-free.

Ventilation

• Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible, for example, by opening windows and doors.
• Do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk to staff or attendees (e.g., risk of falling or triggering asthma symptoms).
• If portable ventilation equipment like fans are used, take steps to minimize air from them blowing from one person directly at another person to reduce the potential spread of any airborne or aerosolized viruses.

Modified Layouts

• Limit attendance or seating capacity to allow for social distancing or host smaller events in larger rooms.
• Use multiple entrances and exits and discourage crowded waiting areas.
• Block off rows or sections of seating in order to space people at least 6 feet apart.
• Eliminate lines or queues if possible or encourage people to stay at least 6 feet apart by providing signs or other visual cues such as tape or chalk marks
• Prioritize outdoor activities where social distancing can be maintained as much as possible.

11.    Physical Barriers and Guides

• Provide physical guides, such as tape on floors or sidewalks and signs on walls, to ensure that individuals remain at least 6 feet apart in lines and at other times (e.g., guides for creating one-way routes).
• Install physical barriers, such as sneeze guards and partitions, in areas where it is difficult for individuals to remain at least 6 feet apart.
• Barriers can be useful at cash registers and other areas where maintaining physical distance of 6 feet is difficult.
• Change seating layout or availability of seating so that people can remain least 6 feet apart.

12.  Food Service

• There is no evidence that COVID-19 is spread by food. However, people sharing utensils and congregating around food service areas can pose a risk. • Use touchless payment options as much as possible, if available.
• Ask customers and employees to exchange cash or card payments by placing them on a receipt tray or on the counter rather than by hand to avoid direct hand-to-hand contact.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as pens, counters, or hard surfaces between use and encourage patrons to use their own pens.
• Provide physical guides, such as tape on floors or sidewalks and signs on walls, to ensure that individuals remain at least 6 feet apart when waiting in line to order or pick up.
• If a cafeteria or group dining room is used, serve individually plated meals or grab-and-go options, and hold activities in separate areas.
• Use disposable food service items including utensils and dishes.
• If disposable items are not feasible or desirable, ensure that all nondisposable food service items are handled with gloves and washed with dish soap and hot water or in a dishwasher.
• Individuals must wash their hands after removing their gloves or after directly handling used food service items.
• Avoid offering any self-serve food or drink options, such as buffets, salad bars, and drink stations. Consider having pre-packaged boxes or bags for each attendee.

13.  Shared Objects

• Discourage people from sharing items that are difficult to clean, sanitize, or disinfect.
• Limit any sharing of food, tools, equipment, or supplies by staff members.
• Ensure adequate supplies to minimize sharing of high-touch materials to the extent possible.

14.  Maintaining Healthy Operations

Event organizers and staff may consider implementing several strategies to maintain healthy operations.

15.  Communication Systems

Put systems in place to:

• Record contact of all persons attending the event
• Staff and attendees must  to self-report if they develop symptoms within 14 days after attending the event
• Advise attendees prior to the event or gathering that they should not attend if they have symptoms or, a positive test for, or were recently exposed (within 14 days) to COVID-19.

16.  Preparing for When Someone Gets Sick

Event planners must consider several strategies to implement when someone gets sick.

• Immediately separate staff and attendees with COVID-19 symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, shortness of breath) at the event.
• Individuals who are sick should go home or to a healthcare facility, depending on how severe their symptoms
• Individuals who have had close contact with a person who has symptoms should be separated, sent home, and advised to follow up with health officials
• Establish procedures for safely transporting anyone sick to their home or to a healthcare facility.
• If you are calling an ambulance or bringing someone to the hospital, call first to alert them that the person may have COVID-19.
• Close off areas used by a sick person and do not use these areas until after cleaning and disinfecting them (for outdoor areas, this includes surfaces or shared objects in the area, if applicable

Made this 18^th day of December, 2020.

SIR  S. W.  TAPLEY  SEATON GCMG, CVO, QC, JP, LL.D

Governor-General

GOVERNMENT  PRINTERY

ST KITTS  W I