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:
- We will follow local Montgomery County Department of Health requirements on wearing masks that are in effect at the time of our conference.
- Generous spacing will be provided between attendees throughout the meeting space as much as possible.
- 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.
- If local and/or federal health regulations change, we will update our protocols to reflect those changes.
- 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.
- For the seasonal flu, the CDC recommends an annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older, with few exceptions.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
