VENUES REOPENING – State Guidelines (updated by Colorado Government May 17th, 2021)

GUIDELINES FOR VENUES FROM COLORADO GOVERNMENT – UPDATED MAY 17th, 2021

• When more than 100 people are gathered in a room in a public indoor space, the venue may operate at 100% capacity not to exceed 500 people, with 6 feet of distancing required between parties of unvaccinated people or people whose vaccination status is unknown. Venues should use the Social Distancing Space Calculator to ensure distancing requirements can be met. Existing approved variances remain in effect, including 5 Star Program approvals granted by a county.  Venues may apply to their local public health agency for a variance to exceed 500 people, to be finally approved by CDPHE. These requirements do not apply to licensed retail food establishments.
  • These requirements do not apply to places of worship or licensed retail food establishments.
  • Some counties may have stricter capacity limits at the local level. Consult your local public health agency for more information about local regulations.
• All indoor activities with more than 100 attendees should follow either seated or unseated guidance. If it isn’t clear which guidance is more applicable, use unseated guidance. A venue should follow the guidance that most closely fits. This means that the same physical space may follow different guidance for different uses or events.

SEATED INDOOR EVENTS

• An event is considered “seated” if the attendees have minimal movement, such as purchasing concessions or using the restroom facilities.
  • If an event with more than 100 attendees involves both a seated and unseated portion, it should calculate capacity for the unseated portion using the Social Distancing Space Calculator.
• Seated activities with more than 100 attendees must ensure 6 feet of distance between parties from different households.

UNSEATED INDOOR EVENTS

• At a minimum, everyone at an unseated event with more than 100 attendees must be able to maintain 6 feet of distancing from all members of other households. Venues may calculate capacity using the Social Distancing Space Calculator.
• Unseated activities increase the possibility of interaction among multiple people as they move around the space. The distancing calculator builds in additional distancing requirements to account for this movement.

BEST PRACTICES

• Collect contact information of guests or attendees through tactics like taking reservations, requiring RSVPs, or having sign-in sheets, and times of arrival and departure to help with potential exposure notification whenever possible.
• Provide generous and flexible cancellation policies so that if guests start experiencing symptoms, they can cancel.
• Encourage 6 feet or more distancing between all employees, customers, contractors and visitors.
• Create a queue at entrances that allows for 6 feet of physical distancing between individuals and pace entry to prevent congestion.
• Operate on a one-in-one-out basis when at capacity.
• Give reminders to observe 6 feet physical distancing before, during, and after events.
• Post signage with easy to interpret graphics in commonly used languages reminding everyone to maintain 6 feet of distance, wear masks if unvaccinated, wash hands, etc.
• Establish single-direction traffic flow in and out of venue and seating areas. Consider separate entrances and exits.
• If the event is catered, do not allow for self-service stations or buffets.
• Enhance cleaning and disinfection of common touch points (doors, stairwell handles, light switch, elevator switch, etc.). (CDC cleaning guidance)
• Ensure ventilation at the venue is in line with or exceeds OSHA guidance.
• Install touchless hand sanitizing stations at entrances and in high-traffic areas.
• Deploy plexiglass barriers where appropriate.
• Limit, wherever possible, the sharing of tools, equipment, or other shared resources (not involved in games or activities).
• Booths or vendors at events should:
  • Allow spacing for vendor load-in and loadout such that vendors and staff can maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from each other as much as possible.
  • Add a minimum of 6 feet in between booths.
  • Create a single line of booths instead of double rows. If this is not possible, create at least a 16 feet thoroughfare between the two sides allowing for a single file, one-way path down the middle.  
  • Require vendors to have market booth layouts that promote social distancing. Provide them with the space to do this. 
  • Create one-way traffic flow through the booths to prevent crowding or mingling.
  • Use ropes, cones or tape to define the entrance, exit and flow.

GUIDELINES FOR PERFORMERS