Canada Publishes Coronavirus Risk Assessment Guidelines for Large Events

The Public Health Agency of Canada released an extensive coronavirus risk assessment to help event planners make informed decisions on the future of their meetings. The advice was developed based on guidelines from the World Health Organization.

"Mass gatherings can contribute to the transmission of respiratory pathogens, such as the virus causing the current outbreaks of COVID-19. However, mass gatherings are not homogenous, and the risk must be assessed on a case-by-case basis by public health authorities, event organizers and relevant planners," notes the PHAC.

The new assessment analyzes key risks regarding coronavirus, holding an event during this time and the environment/setting of the event. Implications for attendees and the surrounding community, as well as the level of importance of the gathering, are weighed for each risk. 

Considerations include the following categories:

Attendee Population

• Are any of the attendees from highly infected areas where community transmission of coronavirus has occurred?
• Do any of the guests belong to professional groups that have a higher risk of exposure? Healthcare workers, for example, might have a greater risk of infection than other professions.  
• Are any of the guests particularly vulnerable to catching the virus? This includes the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.
• Are any of the attendees members of critical infrastructure, such as government or healthcare workers?
• How many people are expected to attend the event and for how long?

Event Program and Venue

• Will attendees be participating in activities that involve physical contact and promote transmission?
• Is the event being held indoors, outdoors or both? Outdoor events are likely to have a lower risk than those held indoors.
• Will hygiene stations and materials be readily available on-site?
• Can the venue be set up to maintain a three-foot distance between attendees at all times? According to PHAC, respiratory droplets which can carry the virus tend to fall within a three-foot radius of the source. Maintaining this distance between attendees can help prevent the virus from spreading.
• Will health workers and first responders be on-site to care for anyone who may fall ill?

Local Community

• Does the local health system have the capacity to test and care for large groups of people suspected to have coronavirus?
• Is the event being held in a geographically remote location, where access to hospitals and health care may be limited?
• Is the local population at increased risk if an outbreak of coronavirus does occur?

Using the assessment, meeting planners may decide on a range of actions that could include no changes needed, enhancing communication with attendees, launching risk-mitigation strategies or canceling/postponing the event. To mitigate risk, organizers can reduce the number of attendees, switch venues to avoid crowding, stagger arrivals and departures, provide packaged foods rather than a buffet, promote personal hygiene and increase sanitary supplies, offer virtual attendance options, and adjust the event program to reduce high-risk activities that involve physical contact.

PHAC recommends that event organizers and planners work with local health authorities to determine which course of action is best suited to their meeting.