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Health and Safety Guidelines

We want PyOhio to be an event that everyone feels safe attending. The PyOhio Health and Safety Guidelines provide a framework from which we can work to make that happen. Together, we will help keep our immuno-compromised friends safe, allow those who share their homes with immuno-compromised people to feel safe joining us, and respect the health of the PyOhio community.

These guidelines apply to all PyOhio attendees, within the PyOhio event space. PyOhio is being held on the 6th and 7th floors of The Westin Cleveland Downtown. Everything outlined here should be followed when in any space on the 6th floor or 7th floor, and on the stairs or in the elevator between them. This includes attending talks and Open Spaces, and any time spent in the hallways or quiet room. Please ensure you act in accordance with these guidelines at all times while attending PyOhio.

Masks Are Required

We are asking you to wear a mask during your time at PyOhio.

Exceptions are:

  • Outdoor spaces
  • Indoors while actively consuming food or beverages
  • Speakers while presenting
  • While necessary for communicating with someone who is hearing impaired when the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication
  • Very briefly to take photos

Masks must be worn over the nose and mouth, and must be made of a tight-knit, non-permeable material. N95 or equivalent masks such as KN95 or K95 are required.

Alternatives to face coverings such as face shields, loose gaiters, scarves, bandanas, and face coverings with ventilation are not permitted to be used as masks.

We encourage you to bring your own mask that you find comfortable, however, we will have free masks available for attendees during each day of PyOhio, as supplies permit.

Attendees who are repeatedly unwilling to comply with the mask requirements will be asked to leave.

Vaccinations Are Encouraged

We encourage PyOhio attendees to stay up to date with the vaccinations that are available to them where they live. In particular, we encourage our US attendees to investigate the bivalent booster that became available in September 2022. We recognise that our international attendees may have different vaccine recommendations and availability. We ask that you do your best.

Vaccines are not required to attend PyOhio. We will not be verifying vaccination status.

Rapid COVID-19 Tests Are Encouraged

PyOhio attendees are expected to use at-home/antigen/rapid tests before they arrive at PyOhio. Use of tests during the conference is encouraged, however, if you wish to use tests while attending PyOhio, you will need to provide your own.

We will not verify negative test results.

If You Feel Unwell

We expect people to remain at home if they may be contagious. If you are feeling sick, experiencing known COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms in ways that are unusual to you, or test positive for COVID-19 prior to the start of the conference without subsequently testing negative (e.g. by two negative rapid tests taken 48 hours apart, or a negative PCR test), you should not attend PyOhio.

If You Test Positive for COVID-19

If you test positive for COVID-19 or exhibit any related symptoms during your attendance of PyOhio, you are required to immediately withdraw yourself from the conference.

We ask that you notify PyOhio organizers by emailing safety@pyohio.org. Your privacy will be respected and maintained. This information will be used only to notify attendees, so they may take appropriate precautions or get tested. We will not share your name but we will share the events in which you participated as you indicate in your report.

Ventilation, Venue, and Physical Distancing

PyOhio will be held entirely indoors. There is 100% active outside air exchange within the event space.

There may be other events taking place in the PyOhio venue during our event. Those events may not have the same health and safety guidelines for their attendees. Therefore, there may be people in our event space who are not following the guidelines outlined here. We strive to create a safe space for everyone to attend PyOhio, however, we want to clarify that our policy does not extend to other events.

The choice to physically distance from others is left up to attendees. Regardless of your choice, please respect fellow attendees’ boundaries if they request that physical distancing be maintained.

Reporting

If you feel that a PyOhio attendee is not following the Health and Safety Guidelines, we ask that you please report the incident to PyOhio organizers by sending an email safety@pyohio.org. You may also report verbally. The privacy of anyone making a report will be respected and maintained; names will not be shared. We will use the information provided to investigate and, if necessary, act on the situation.

You may report anyone not following these guidelines, however, please remember that there may be other events at the same time, and those events may not have such guidelines for their attendees. We can only enforce these guidelines with PyOhio attendees.

Future Updates to These Guidelines

We promise not to downgrade our Health and Safety policy between now and the event to allow community members to make decisions about attending with confidence that his policy won’t be weakened between when they book travel or submit a talk, and when the conference takes place. If there is a development that recommends additional precaution, then we may add it. As we get closer to PyOhio, we may add additional information here as well. We will not, however, be subtracting anything or softening the mask policy.