Special Events Permitting for COVID-19 Updated to Coordinate with Latest Health Authority Recommendations – AustinTexas.gov

The April 2021 version of Bringing Events Back: Austin Travis County COVID-19 Safety Guide for Venues and Special Events has been updated to match May 2021 health conditions. The guidance, which outlines COVID-19 health and safety considerations, are recommendations only.

The COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan is still a required form to complete as part of the special events permit application. Now, the content of the form is shorter, and the details requested in the plan are recommendations only. Once you submit the form, Austin Public Health will review the safety plan and will provide input to help organizers have a COVID-safe event.

As events begin to come back, we are still wanting to work with event organizers to help their events be as COVID-safe as possible. We still recommendincluding safety features in event planslikeputting up signageto prevent disease,reportingcases to APH,and worker safety, said Don Hastings, Austin Public HealthAssistant Director.We also want event organizers to be able to offer COVID vaccination and testing opportunities at their events if they can.

Austin Center for Events (ACE) is committed to updating the event safety guidance as often as there are changes in the health conditions, or at least every 30 days, so that event organizers always have the most relevant guidance.

The plan has always been for event safety guidance to update as health conditions change. The City is committed to working with Austin Public Health and the event community to update our permitting requirements to match current health recommendations, said Development Services Director Denise Lucas. These updates get us one step closer to getting back to 100% normal, and as long as conditions continue to improve, we look forward to the day when they can sunset completely.

Updated recommendations for COVID-safe events, FAQs, and the updated COVID-19 Health and Safety form can all be found at http://www.austintexas.gov/eventreopeningguide.

Austin Public Health is the health department for the City of Austin and Travis County. Austin Public Health works to prevent disease, promote health, and protect the well-being of all by monitoring and preventing infectious diseases and environmental threats, and educating about the benefits of preventative behaviors to avoid chronic diseases and improve health outcomes.

The Austin Center for Events is a collaborative assembly of City of Austin departments and agencies designed to streamline special event permitting on public and private property. ACE is anchored by teams from Austin Public Health, Transportation, Parks, Music, Police, Fire, EMS, Code, Austin Resource Recovery, Development Services, and partner agencies, and works closely with event organizers to guide them through the special event permitting process. More information at http://www.austintexas.gov/ace

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Special Events Permitting for COVID-19 Updated to Coordinate with Latest Health Authority Recommendations - AustinTexas.gov