ASO COVID-19 Pandemic Safety Plan
Objective
The Anderson Symphony Orchestra (ASO) regards the health and safety of our audience, employees, and musicians to be of utmost importance. ASO will follow mandates from city, county, state, and federal officials including the most recent recommendations and requirements from the Madison County Health Department and the Center for Disease Control. This COVID-19 Safety Plan is subject to change at the discretion of the ASO, should current events and orders dictate. The ASO will continually revisit this plan to ensure best safety practices for the staff, musicians, and patrons, financial sustainability and live and digital programming and communications.
ASO is implementing the following guidelines and procedures for the safest environment for our employees, board, patrons, and musicians. These procedures will be in effect until the point they are deemed unnecessary by local, state, and federal guidelines. ASO will also follow the included procedures for financial sustainability and programming/communication. These procedures will remain in place until the ASO board feels they may be abandoned for normal operating procedures.
Staff Procedures
ASO office staff will have the option to work remotely during the pandemic. Staff must communicate their intentions with the executive director. The executive director is tasked with delivering checks and other necessary items to staff (intern, bookkeeper, and board members’) homes and keep lines of communication open with all members of the ASO team. The executive director is to regularly check the post office box and assume responsibility for calls that are received using the third-party phone system. The office will remain open, although staffed remotely, and staff available to musicians and patrons throughout the pandemic.
Safety and Security
Consistent with ASO’s expectations of information security for staff working at the office, telecommuting team members are expected to ensure the protection of proprietary information accessible from their home office. Steps include the use of locked file cabinets and desks, regular password maintenance, and any other measures appropriate for the job and the environment. Staff are expected to maintain their home workspace in a safe manner, free from safety hazards.
Time Worked
Hourly staff and contracted staff are required to accurately record all hours worked and provide them to the executive director for delivery to the bookkeeper.
Working on-Site
When working in the office, face masks will be always worn when more than one staff member is present. Staff should always maintain six-foot social distancing. Staff will have hand sanitizer available for his or her own personal use. By entering the office, staff attests they are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms nor believe they have been exposed to anyone experiencing Covid-19 symptoms or who have tested positive or been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have not been advised to self-isolate or quarantine by a health care provider or a public health official or been in contact with anyone who has been.
COVID-19 symptoms include:
Cough Chills
Muscle pain Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Headache Fever of 100.4 or greater
Sore throat New loss of taste or smell
Influenza-like illness GI symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
ASO office staff are required to notify the executive director if they believe they may have COVID-19 or may have been exposed to someone suspected to or confirmed to have COVID-19. ASO office staff will be required to quarantine per the Center for Disease Control’s most up to date guidelines. Office staff may work from home during quarantine.
When working at concerts or other ASO events, staff will always wear face coverings and maintain social distancing with their interactions with both the musicians and patrons.
Musician Procedures
Prior to the first musician call, musicians must be able to attest or acknowledge they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and do not believe themselves to be at risk for having COVID-19, nor have they been in contact with anyone who has tested positive or been diagnosed with COVID-19 or been in contact with anyone who has exhibited COVID-19 symptoms, been advised to self-isolate or quarantine by a health care provider or a public health official.
Musicians should not come to the rehearsal or performance space and must contact the executive director immediately if they believe they may have COVID-19 or may have been exposed to someone suspected to or confirmed to have COVID-19.
COVID-19 symptoms include:
Cough Chills
Muscle pain Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Headache Fever of 100.4 or greater
Sore throat New loss of taste or smell
Influenza-like illness GI symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
During a performance, musicians will always wear face coverings as reasonably practical except for wind and brass players who will not be required to wear face coverings while they are playing. All string players will be spaced apart by no less than a six-foot radius. Wind and brass players will be spaced apart by no less than a 12-foot radius. Musicians will not share music stands or music. Stands and chairs will be sanitized between services.
Procedures for Confirmed COVID-19 Exposure or Illness
The ASO will confirm with the employee or musician that the employee or musician was evaluated by a medical professional and has a diagnosis or positive test results for COVID-19. The ASO will follow up with the employee to gather the appropriate information about the employee’s or musician’s possible close contacts. The ASO will then determine appropriate next steps, including appropriate communication to those in close contact. The affected employee or musician will be required to quarantine based on the most current CDC guidelines. They will not return to work until they have completed appropriate health monitoring and/or screening, as recommended by the CDC.
If an employee or musician is confirmed to have COVID-19 (by test or diagnosis), the executive director will contact any employee or visitor identified by the affected employee or musician as someone with whom the affected employee or musician had close contact as defined by the CDC. Without disclosing the affected person’s identity, the executive director will advise the other party that they have been within close contact of someone who is infected.
The work area of the affected employee or musician, and other areas identified by the affected individual, will be cleaned and sanitized according to recommended protocols.
Audience Procedures
The return to live concerts will occur in phases at the discretion of the ASO and based upon (i) musician and audience feedback, (ii) best practices set forth by public health officials, and (iii) mandates set forth by state, local, and federal government. Concerts in the spring of 2021 with socially distanced audiences will be outdoors, masks required. The remaining concerts in 2021 will be indoor, as guidelines allow. Approval from the Madison County Health Department for concerts will be sought and the appropriate information submitted, in conjunction with the Paramount Theatre.
All events will be 1 hour in length, no intermission, musicians entering and exiting in one direction, touchless tickets utilized, no concessions, tickets sold recognizing the 6-foot proper distancing between households, and digital programs accessed via QR codes. Hand sanitizer will be available at entry and bathroom facilities will be available. ASO will follow all The Paramount Theatre’s safety protocols and procedures.
Medical Exceptions: If an employee or audience member has a medical need which may interfere with or prevent them from wearing a face covering, please contact ASO at 765-644-2111 prior to entering the facility to discuss possible accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ASO abides by all state and federal laws concerning the provision of services to individuals with disabilities.
Financial Sustainability Procedures
Executive Director, bookkeeper, Board Treasurer and CPA, and ASO board will have regular conversations regarding financial health, both during and outside of regular Board meetings. ASO will apply for all available grant funds. Board designated reserve funds are available should they need to be accessed, but the goal is to not have to access those funds.
Marketing & Communication Procedures
The ASO has conducted conversations/surveys with musicians via zoom and otherwise and phone conversations with patrons throughout the pandemic regarding their comfort for returning to indoor concerts. Conversations of this sort have been and will be ongoing. Concert announcements and emails outlining COVID-19 safety protocols, procedures, and expectations will be sent to patrons and musicians prior to concerts and will be made available on the ASO website. The ASO will also use social media posts to demonstrate safe audience and musician practices.
The ASO commits to using all forms of communication possible to communicate to patrons and musicians regarding safety procedures and changes to programming due to the pandemic.
During the pandemic, ASO commits to providing online, digital programming for patrons. Using our social media platforms, ASO will launch a “Musicians Spotlight” whereby ASO musicians submit a video introducing themselves and teaching patrons about their instrument. The musician will perform a short concert. ASO will pay the musicians for their video submission.
In addition, at Christmas the ASO will provide access to 2019’s Christmas concert for patrons to view at no cost, as our gift to them. ASO will announce this via social media, email, and letters to patrons.
Questions or concerns regarding this document or the ASO should be addressed with Darla Sallee, Executive Director, at 765-644-2111 or at [email protected].