The loft at young lion & private events

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These mandates are in place until further notice and new mandates further restricting events may be issued by NYS.

What are the restrictions upon gatherings? Effective March 15, 2021

In-Person and Catered Events

• Effective March 15, 2021, Responsible Parties throughout the state, including event venue and facility owners and/or operators, and event organizers (i.e., planners and producers), must comply with additional requirements for non-residential events (i.e., gatherings held outside of a household) that involve the gathering of attendees – above the State’s social gathering limit – for an event, which may feature the preparation and service of food and/or beverage for parties, including but not limited to wedding receptions, celebrations, and similar private venue events, such as meetings and conferences.
  • As of February 24, 2021, the State’s social gathering limit is 50 or fewer people in non-residential settings.
  • Responsible Parties must maintain sufficient employee or event staff (e.g., security) presence to ensure compliance with these health and safety requirements, including limiting capacity, prohibiting unnecessary congregations, and managing movement and traffic
• Occupancy: Responsible Parties must limit occupancy of in-person and catered events to the lesser of: 50% for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy, or 150 people, exclusive of employees and event staff. So for YLBC we are capped at 50 guests.
• Local Health Department Notice: Responsible Parties must notify their respective county health department or local public health authority if they plan to host in-person and catered events above the State’s maximum social gathering limit, which is 50 people, as of February 24, 2021. (Note: As referenced above, areas that are designated as cluster zones may have lower social gathering limits in effect.)
• Contact Information for Tracing: For any event conducted pursuant to this guidance, Responsible Parties must require each attendee (or, if attendee is a minor, an adult from their party/household/family) in attendance to sign-in before or immediately upon arrival to the event, providing their full name, date of birth, address, email, and phone number for use in potential contact tracing efforts, if necessary. 
• Screening Testing: For any event conducted pursuant to this guidance, Responsible Parties must require and ensure all attendees have received a negative diagnostic test result for COVID-19 using a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or other nucleic acid amplification test (NAATs) of comparable analytical sensitivity performance that was performed on a specimen (e.g., swab) collected within 72 hours of the event start time. Responsible Parties may also accept negative test results for COVID-19 from a FDA authorized antigen test performed on a specimen collected within 6 hours of the event start time. All attendees must present proof of the negative diagnostic test result (e.g., mobile application, paper form) to designated employees or event staff prior to, or immediately upon, arrival to the event.  
  • Responsible Parties may offer to perform FDA-authorized antigen testing for attendees to obtain test results of specimens collected within 6 hours of the event on premises; provided, however, such antigen testing must meet all requirements and standards set forth by DOH, including timely and complete reporting of results to the Department’s Electronic Clinical Laboratory Reporting System (ECLRS). 
  • Alternatively, attendees may provide proof of having completed the COVID-19 vaccination series at least 14 days prior to the date of the event. However, as DOH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to evaluate the effect of immunization on potential COVID-19 transmission, diagnostic testing is still recommended, and venues may choose to require testing. DOH, in consultation with CDC, will continue to monitor vaccination developments and revise guidance accordingly.
  • Employees and event staff must also be tested for COVID-19 through a diagnostic test prior to events, and must be tested biweekly thereafter for as long as they are actively engaged in hosting events and interacting in close contact with attendees.  Alternatively, employees and event staff may provide proof of having completed the COVID-19 vaccination series at least 14 days prior to the date of event(s).
  • Any attendee who fails to present a negative diagnostic test result or proof of immunization, as described above, must be denied entry to the event.
• Health Screening: Responsible Parties must implement mandatory health screening for employees, event staff, and attendees prior to the event. 
  • As detailed below, health screening shall consist of questions regarding current or recent COVID-19 symptoms (e.g., temperature in excess of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), close or proximate contact with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case(s), recent positive COVID-19 test result(s), and compliance with State’s travel advisory.
• Distancing: Responsible Parties must ensure that all attendees practice social distancing by maintaining a distance of, at least, six feet from other individuals, except for members of the same immediate party/household/family.
  • Responsible Parties must assign each attendee to a table or area, where they must be seated while eating or drinking for the duration of the event. To the extent practicable, individuals should be seated at a table or area with members of their same immediate party/household/family.
  • Where attendees may frequently interact with employees or event staff (e.g., host station, reception desk), Responsible Parties should install appropriate physical barriers. Further, Responsible Parties should consider implementing touchless systems for transactions that require close contact between attendees and employees/event staff (e.g., check-in).
• Face Covering: Responsible Parties must ensure that attendees, employees, and event staff wear acceptable face coverings at all times; provided, however, that attendees may remove their face coverings when seated at their assigned table to eat or drink. The face covering requirement applies to any attendee over the age of two and able to medically tolerate such covering.
• Controlled Movement: Responsible Parties must ensure that all event attendees are confirmed in advance (e.g., guest list) to ensure compliance with occupancy, plan movement of individuals throughout the premises, and prevent unnecessary congregation or foot-traffic congestion in common areas (e.g., entrances, exits, restrooms).
• Activities: Responsible Parties must ensure that attendees are not congregating, except when seated at their assigned table. Attendees should only be standing when necessary (e.g., enter/exit, restroom, use of staffed buffet), when essential to the event (e.g., entrance of bride and groom), or when permitted as follows:
• Responsible Parties may permit live music, entertainment (e.g., DJ), and/or dancing within the following parameters, which will be revisited by the State as the public health condition continues to change:
  • Live music performers and other entertainers, particularly if unmasked or playing a wind instrument, must be separated from attendees by either 12 feet or an appropriate physical barrier.
  • Select attendees – who are designated to the Responsible Parties prior to the event – may participate in ceremonial dances with members of their immediate party/household/family (e.g., first dances at a wedding reception) so long as they maintain six feet of separation from other attendees throughout the dance.
  • Attendees may dance with only members of their same immediate party/household/family who are seated at their table in designated and clearly marked areas or zones that are assigned to them and spaced, at least, six feet apart from any other dancing areas or zones, and any tables. Ideally, each dancing area or zones should not be less than 36 square feet. Attendees must wear face coverings while in their assigned dancing area or zone and cannot enter, use, or otherwise visit other dancing areas or zones.

We appreciate your patience and flexibility in planning as we navigate event logistics in the pandemic.