Conference COVID -19 & Seasonal Flu Policies

For the North American Raspberry & Blackberry Conference, NARBA will take appropriate COVID-19 and seasonal flu precautions. We will work with local health officials and hotel staff to ensure that we are creating and promoting a safe environment where you feel comfortable and can focus on maximizing your experience at our conference. Specifically:

  1. We will follow local Montgomery County Department of Health requirements on wearing masks that are in effect at the time of our conference.
  2. Generous spacing will be provided between attendees throughout the meeting space as much as possible.
  3. Our conference hotel will follow local and CDC guidance on sanitation of public areas and high-touch surfaces, and will provide hand sanitizing stations in all conference areas.
  4. If local and/or federal health regulations change, we will update our protocols to reflect those changes. 
  5. The federal Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that everyone 5 years and older get a COVID-19 vaccination to help protect against COVID-19. The CDC also recommends COVID booster vaccination for all adults 18 years old and older. The CDC states that widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic.
  6. For the seasonal flu, the CDC recommends an annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older, with few exceptions.
  7. NARBA supports the CDC recommendations and requests that all in-person conference attendees follow the CDC recommendations for both COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccination. More information is available at the CDC website.
  8. All in-person attendees will be required to complete our Acknowledgement of COVID-19 Risk and Release of Liability. Online-registrants will receive an email message (after they register) asking that they sign the Release (or “Waiver”). A print version of the Release/Waiver is provided with the paper registration forms. No one will be admitted without a signed waiver. See the text of the Release here.
  9. We ask that you remain home if:
    • You have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
    • You are experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as fever or chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, sore throat, cough, loss of smell/taste, shortness of breath, etc.
    • You have been exposed to a person with confirmed COVID-19 within the last 14 days or are waiting for results from a COVID test.
  10. If you cannot attend for health reasons, you may switch to the virtual conference and receive a partial refund (please see our change/cancellation policies). Please reach out to NARBA organizers with questions or for support at info@raspberryblackberry.com or 919-542-4037 (until Feb 19) or 919-545-6746 (after Feb 19).

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