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Luminato Festival Toronto 2023 Festival COVID-19 Policy  

SUMMARY 

The purpose of this policy is: 

For staff, independent contractors, and volunteers: 

We require all staff and independent contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and recently (within the last 6 months) boosted. 

We do not require volunteers to provide proof of vaccination. 

We strongly encourage all staff, independent contractors and volunteers to wear a tight-fitting well-constructed (eg. KN95) mask indoors, except when eating and drinking, beginning 10 days before the festival (May 28th). This includes in the festival office. 

We ask all staff, independent contractors, and volunteers to self-monitor for symptoms.  

If you have symptoms of COVID, you should self-isolate and take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).

For artists and crew: 

We do not require artists and crew to provide proof of vaccination. 

We strongly encourage all artists and crew to wear a tight-fitting well-constructed (eg. KN95) mask indoors, except when eating and drinking. 

Artists arriving from out of town will be required to take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) upon arrival, and two days after arrival. RATs will be provided. 

We ask all artists and crew to self-monitor for symptoms.  

If you have symptoms of COVID, you should self-isolate and take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).  

Masks may be removed on stage only after discussion with the Producer and Festival Producer. 

For audiences: 

We do not require audience members to provide proof of vaccination. 
Masks are encouraged but optional at all indoor performances. Disposable masks will be available for audience members requiring them. 

Public COVID-19 Policy:

Luminato’s COVID-19 policy has been designed with the safety and comfort of audience members, patrons, artists, staff and crew as the top priority. We will continue to monitor and respond to governmental policy changes and advice from health authorities to ensure we are always up-to-date and offering the safest experience possible. 

At this time, Luminato no longer requires audience members’ proof of vaccination to enter our performance venues. Masks are encouraged but optional at indoor performances. Disposable masks will be available for audience members requiring them. 

We ask audience members to monitor their symptoms and please not attend festival events if you have a fever or are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of attending, or if you have had close contact with anyone suspected or confirmed of having COVID-19. 

All residents and visitors of Toronto must follow the City of Toronto’s current Public Health regulations. Click here to view the current Public Health Regulations for the City of Toronto. 

We continue to work with our partner venues to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for our audiences; we will inform ticketholders of any updates to our COVID-19 protocol.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].  

PART 1: COVID-19 MITIGATION 

  1. Vaccines  

We require all staff to be recently vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination upon joining the company. We are defining recently vaccinated as having received two doses or boosters as eligible of any of the Health Canada approved vaccines within the last 6 months. 

We do not require volunteers, artists, artists’ touring parties and crew to provide proof of vaccination. 

Those arriving from outside of Canada to participate in the festival may be required to comply with Federal regulation. As of the last update of this policy, travellers entering into Canada by air, land, or sea are not required to provide proof of vaccination or negative test results. Current requirements ca be found here: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid 

We do not require audience and patrons attending our performances, whether indoor or outdoor, to show proof of vaccination. 

  1. Masks 

Indoors 
We strongly encourage all staff, independent contractors, volunteers, artists, artists’ touring parties and crew, vendors/partners to wear a tight-fitting well-constructed (eg. KN95) mask indoors, except when eating and drinking, beginning 10 days before the festival (May 28th). This includes in the festival office. 

 Indoor Spaces include: 

  • The Luminato Office 
  • Volunteer and Company Management office (180 Dundas St W.) 
  • Union Station 
  • Bluma Appel Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts 
  • Harbourfront Centre Theatre 
  • Fleck Dance Theatre 
  • Ada Slaight Hall, Daniels Spectrum 
  • Any vehicles 
  • Dressing Rooms/Backstage/Green rooms 
  • Production Offices 
  • Trailers / Enclosed tents 

We encourage, but do not require audience, patrons, donors, sponsors, and guests of artists attending our performances, whether indoor or outdoor, to wear a mask. 

Outdoors 
We do not require mask-wearing at our outdoor venues.  
Outdoor spaces include: 

  • Yonge-Dundas Square 
  • David Pecaut Square 
  • Nathan Phillips Square 
  • College Square Park 
  • Albert Campbell Square 
  • The Bentway  
  • Regent Park 
  • Ontario Square at Harbourfront Centre 
  • Mississauga Celebration Square 
  • Mabelle Park 
  • Berczy Park 
  • College Park 
  • HTO Park 
  • Music Garden 

Part 2: COVID-19 RESPONSE 

  1. Symptoms & Self- Screening   

All staff, independent contractors, volunteers, artists, artists’ touring parties and crew, are required to screen for COVID-19 symptoms.  

If you have one or more of the COVID-19 symptoms listed below, it is likely that you have COVID-19. Please self-isolate and take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) immediately; then notify the Festival COVID-19 Officer who will advise you on next steps. Do not attend a Luminato event or site.  

  • Fever (37. 8˚ C or higher) and/or chills
  • Cough 
  • Shortness of breath or trouble breathing 
  • Decreased or loss of taste or smell 
  • Runny nose or nasal congestion (Not related to other known causes or conditions (e.g. seasonal allergies) 
  • Headache 
  • Extreme fatigue or tiredness 
  • Sore throat 
  • Muscle aches or joint pain 
  • Gastrointestinal symptoms (such as vomiting or diarrhea) 

If you have severe symptoms (difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, confusion, loss of consciousness), please call 911. 

If test is positive: see COVID-19 Positive Case Protocol below.  

If test is negative: You should self-isolate for 24 hours and then take another RAT. If test is positive, see COVID-19 Positive Case Protocol below. If the second test is negative, you can return to work and should 1) wear a tight-fitting well-constructed mask and 2) take a RAT every day until you no longer have symptoms. 

  1. Testing  

Rapid antigen tests (RATs) will be available to all staff, volunteers, and artists at festival venues, the festival office, and the festival hotel. Additional tests are available through our Festival COVID-19 Officer.  

RATs should be performed with 2 swabs: oral cavity AND nasal cavity. 

Staff, volunteers, and in-town artists are not required to test, unless you have symptoms listed above under Symptoms. 

Artists and touring parties arriving from outside of Canada, or who have travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days will be required to self-test on the day they arrive in Toronto and every subsequent second day. If test is positive, please follow COVID-19 Positive Case Protocol below. 

  1. Close Contacts  

All staff, volunteers, artists, artists’ touring parties and crew are required to report all instances of COVID-19 to Luminato’s Festival COVID-19 Officer, who will advise on next steps and notify close contacts. 

We are following City of Toronto guidelines on close contacts. 

Close contacts include: 

  • Anyone you live with; 
  • Anyone who was within 2 metres (6 feet) of you for 15 minutes or more, without a tight-fitting well-constructed mask; 
  • Anyone you had multiple close encounters with over a 24-hour period (even if each was less than 15 minutes) without a tight-fitting well-constructed mask; 
  • Anyone you had close, physical contact with (e.g. hugging) without a a tight-fitting well-constructed mask. 

The time frame you should consider when assessing whether you are a close contact is if you were in close contact 48 hours PRIOR to a positive test result, or the onset of their symptoms. If you are unsure whether you are officially deemed a close contact, please contact the Festival COVID-19 Officer who can advise you. 

Masked or unmasked, indoors or outdoors does not make a difference. 

If you have had a close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please immediately self-isolate and take a rapid test.  

If test is negative and you are asymptomatic

  • Closely monitor for symptoms 
  • take a Rapid Antigen Test every day for 2 days 
  • wear a tight-fitting well-constructed mask indoors for 2 days 
  • Performers may remove mask during performances; this must be discussed with the Producer and Festival Producer 

If test is negative and you are symptomatic: 

  • Notify the Festival COVID-19 Officer 
  • Self-isolate for 24 hours and take another RAT. If test is positive, see COVID-19 Positive Case Protocol below. If the second test is negative, you can return to work and should 1) wear a tight-fitting well-constructed mask and 2) take a RAT every day until you no longer have symptoms.  

If test is positive: 

  • Follow COVID-19 Positive Case Protocol below 
  1. COVID-19 Positive Case Protocol 
  • Immediately self-isolate.  
  • Notify the Festival COVID-19 Officer and work with them to provide information for contact tracing.  
  • Stay at home until you have no fever and symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours for gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and/or diarrhea). 
  • For 10 days after your symptoms started, wear a tight-fitting, well-constructed mask in all public settings 

Luminato is grateful for the support of MedCan for their guidance and consultation on our COVID policy.