Learning & Outreach Covid-19 Safety Plan
Our 2020 summer programs take three forms:
- On-site day programs.
- Virtual programs.
- Blended programs combining socially distanced on-site activities and at-home projects and activities.
Both on-site and blended programs have been adapted to reduce participant crossover and ensure social distancing. As a team, we have been working diligently to adapt our programming and operational plans to meet or exceed the anticipated health and safety guidelines being developed by government agencies and health professionals.
General:
All blended and on-site programs will have a reduced ratio between facilitators and participants (1:5 or less)
On-site programs, which are generally geared towards younger children (aged 13 or under), will be limited to 10 participants. Each child will work with their own equipment and indoor spaces will be large enough to support social distancing between participants and facilitators. Chairs will be assigned, work/play stations will be separated, and surfaces will be sanitized regularly. Supervised, low- or no-contact outdoor activities and games will be prioritized whenever possible.
Blended programs, which are geared for older youth and adults, will consist of a rotating schedule of on-site, outdoor, and at-home projects. Small in-person crews of 5 or less will work exclusively with each other, a designated facilitator, and assigned equipment. Outdoor activities will be prioritized whenever possible.
Meals will not be provided. Participants and facilitators will not be allowed to share food.
Facilitators, participants, parents, and caregivers will not be allowed to enter program sites if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or have travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days or have been identified by public health as a close contact of a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
If a participant exhibits symptoms of COVID-19, their parent or caregiver will be contacted immediately and they will be separated from other participants (and supervised by a designated facilitator wearing personal protective equipment) until they are picked up. Parents and caregivers must keep their children at home until they have been assessed by a health care provider to exclude COVID-19 or other infectious diseases, and their symptoms have resolved.
If a facilitator or other staff member exhibits symptoms of COVID-19, they will be sent home and excluded from on-site work until they have been assessed by a health care provider to exclude COVID-19 or other infectious disease, and their symptoms have resolved.
Signage will be posted at the entrance of all program sites reminding participants and facilitators not to enter if they are sick.
Worksafe BC’s COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Child Care Settings does not recommend that children wear cloth or homemade masks and states that masks may encourage touching of the face and eyes in younger children. Children aged 13 and under will not be encouraged to wear masks while on-site. Youth aged 14-19 may choose to wear masks from home or disposable masks provided.
Cleaning and disinfection:
All equipment (cameras, boom poles, laptops, headphones, etc) will be sanitized throughout and at the end of each day. Children aged 13 and under will have access to their own equipment so they do not have to share during the week. Participants aged 14 and up will share equipment only with their small crew (5 or under) and will sanitize equipment before rotating it between them.
Surfaces will be sanitized regularly:
- For blended programs, washrooms, tables, chairs, and other surfaces will be sanitized before and after each session and whenever visibly dirty.
- For on-site programs, chairs will be assigned and all surfaces and high-touch areas will be sanitized at the beginning and end of each day, after each -break, and whenever visibly dirty.
- For activities requiring high-touch materials (e.g. pens and markers), enough materials will be provided so that participants do not have to share.
- If a facilitator or participant is required to leave because they have exhibited symptoms of COVID-19, all surfaces, equipment, and areas with which they have come in contact will be thoroughly disinfected.
Hand sanitizer, disposable non-medical masks, and disinfectant wipes will be available on-site at every program.
Drop off and pick up
Pick-up and drop-off will occur at designated spaces outside program sites and facilities (e.g. the courtyard in front of The Cinematheque).
Parents signing pick up/drop off sheets should use their own pen and avoid touching the sheet directly.
Participants will self-assess and/or be assessed by a parent or caregiver daily for symptoms of COVID-19. Those exhibiting symptoms will not be allowed on-site.
Facilitators will ask for a verbal “yes/no” confirmation at the beginning of each day that participants do not have symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other respiratory disease.
Participants will sanitize their hands immediately upon entering the facility. Parents who need to communicate with program facilitators are encouraged to do so by phone or video conferencing whenever possible.
Staff protocols
Facilitators and other staff will self-assess daily and will not come to work if they are exhibiting symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other respiratory disease.
All facilitators will wash or sanitize their hands regularly, including: at the beginning and end of each day; before and after every meal; after using the washroom; before exchanging equipment; after performing cleaning duties; before donning or doffing a mask; after removing gloves; and when visibly dirty.
Worksafe BC’s COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Child Care Settings states that PPE, such as masks and gloves, are not needed beyond those used by staff as part of regular precautions for hazards normally encountered in their regular course of work. Program facilitators will therefore not be required to wear masks on-site, though they may choose to do so. PPE including non-medical masks and gloves will be available for staff and participants who request them, or they can bring PPE from home. Staff who prefer to don PPE will be trained on how to wear it safely.
Further Information and Resources
The Cinematheque’s Learning & Outreach COVID-19 safety plan was developed in accordance with the Worksafe BC’s COVID-19 and Returning to Safe Operation - Phases 2 & 3 and COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Child Care Settings. The Cinematheque has additional safety plans for re-opening its cinema and regular programming. Participants, parents, and facilitators should review the following additional information:
- British Columbia COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tools and Guidelines.
Worksafe BC guidelines on selecting and using masks. - Worksafe BC Childcare and Day Camps: Protocol for Returning to Operation.