Purpose

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a result, federal, state, and local governments and federal and state health agencies recommend social distancing and have, in many locations, prohibited the congregation of groups of people. The Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (“MAUVSA”) has put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, MAUVSA cannot guarantee that you will not contract COVID-19. Further, attending MAUVSA events could increase your risk of contracting COVID-19.

Protocol for COVID Vaccinations and Tests

1. All members attending our camps and conferences will be required to be fully vaccinated. The definition of “fully vaccinated” is proof of vaccination with 2 shots. Starting from October 3rd, 2024, the booster shot for COVID-19 will no longer be a requirement to attend events. However, maintaining your booster shot status is still strongly recommended as advised by the CDC. Any stipulations regarding exemption from vaccination policy must be brought up to the MAUVSA Executive Board, which will then be handled on a case-by-case basis. Examples of valid reasoning for exemption would be religious observation, pre-existing conditions (ex. Autoimmune Disorders), and pre-authorized documentation of an exemption from vaccinations from either your member school or other entity (not including MAUVSA).
2. COVID Tests will be required to attend this event. Upon notification of a positive result pre-conference, the attendee will not be permitted to attend the event for the safety of our community and our attendees. Disclaimer: If an attendee contracts the COVID-19 Virus, they are not entitled to reimbursement for their ticket price, and should reach out to the Executive Board (eboard@mauvsa.org) for more information or questions.
3. A COVID-19 Test form will be sent out to all attendees on Monday, February 24th, 2025 which will open for submission at 12:00 PM EST on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, and will close on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 11:59 PM. During this submission process, all attendees MUST submit a COVID-19 Test (This can be any form of test including PCR, Rapid Tests, and At-Home Kits). COVID Submissions should be submitted with the following items in the image. Should a COVID test not contain these items, the submission will be rejected and attendees will be asked to resubmit: i. Proof of Negative Test (Image of Test or official form from doctor’s office stating a negative result), ii. Full Name, iii. Date and Time of when the test was taken. Should there be any questions or concerns regarding the submission, please inform the Registration Committee (conference.registration@mauvsa.org) and the Conference Executive Team (conference.exec@mauvsa.org).
4. During this conference, masks will not be required to be worn during the weekend of the conference. With that being said, should an attendee want to wear masks during the conference, this will be allowed and encouraged to increase safety.
5. Should an attendee contract COVID during the conference, the attendees will be asked to quarantine themselves either in their own space or to leave the conference.

Risk Assumption Agreement

By signing this agreement relating to the event MAUVSA Advance Conference XIII (“MAC XIII”) from February 28th, 2024 to March 2nd, 2024, I acknowledge the contagious nature of COVID-19 and voluntarily assume the risk that I and/or my family may be exposed to or infected by COVID-19 by attending MAC XIII and that such exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, and/or death. I understand that the risk of becoming exposed to or infected by COVID-19 at MAC XIII may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of myself and others, including, but not limited to, MAC XIII staff, MAUVSA staff, and program participants and their families. I also agree to follow the protocol listed above to ensure my community's safety.