General Guidance to Chapters Regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
March 2020 - A number of EAA chapters have contacted headquarters regarding guidance, options, and cautions regarding chapter events, in conjunction with the coronavirus. Here is some general guidance for those chapter leaders:
- Communicate with your local public health officials (city, county, etc.). They will have the best overview on the local situation regarding public events. If there is low risk in continuing, decide accordingly. If there are situations such as school district closings, advisories against large gatherings, and so forth, postponing your event might be prudent.
- Volunteers who do not feel well should not participate in a chapter event.
- Emphasize that the safety and health of all is the primary priority in any decision that is made.
- In the case of Young Eagles rallies, additional steps such as wiping headsets, control yolks/sticks, and commonly touched surfaces with disinfectant wipes after each flight may be an excellent option.
- Assure Young Eagles parents and your volunteers that if the event goes as planned, extra health precautions will be in place. Some of those suggestions are listed below. Make sure all volunteers follow them.
These are general guidelines. Your local chapter has a better gauge on the situation in your community than we at EAA headquarters. As always, please heed advisories from the CDC and your local government agencies.
We will continue to advise chapters of the latest information we have available.
