Covid Safety at Zimfest 2023

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Covid Safety Policies

Last revised: February 17, 2023

The following policies were developed by the Zimfest Association Board. All Covid Safety policies are subject to change, based on the situation in August, 2023. Any changes will be announced on this website. Please send any questions to .

Covid Vaccinations

Since at the time of writing, COVID deaths continue to number in the thousands per week (see CDC Covid Tracker), the Zimfest Board strongly recommends — but does not require — that all attendees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including the bivalent booster which became available in September 2022. The bivalent booster gives protection against the now-dominant Omicron variant as well as the original COVID virus.¹ All persons from age 6 months and up are eligible for COVID vaccinations and bivalent booster, and the CDC recommends that everyone stay up to date on vaccinations for their age group.

¹ Effectiveness of Bivalent Boosters against Severe Omicron Infection, New England Journal of Medicine, Jan 25 2023.

Mask Policy

As members of a community who care about one another, we are mindful of those among us who have a weakened immune system or chronic illness. In order to keep everyone as safe as possible, we expect all Zimfest participants to mask at all times while in indoor public spaces, such as the cafeteria and classrooms, except when actively eating or drinking. In addition, teachers may mandate masking in their classrooms. Respect for our teachers has always been a fundamental principle at Zimfest; therefore, if a teacher requires workshop participants to wear masks, we expect participants to respect the teacher’s wishes and comply. We ask this with consideration, holding the best of intentions for a healthy gathering of our Zimfest community. We will depend on each other to uphold this safety standard, and encourage participants to speak up with reminders or requests for indoor masking.

We encourage attendees to bring their preferred style of mask (KN95/N95 or surgical) with them. Zimfest will have masks and hand sanitizer available. Masking is optional in outdoor spaces, including outdoor concerts, per Benton County public health regulations.