COVID-19 Protocol // 42nd NSC of EYP Greece

Thessaloniki '21 // 42nd National Selection Conference of EYP Greece

COVID-19 Protocol Thessaloniki, 17-20 December '21

1.

COVID-19 Protection Thessaloniki ‘21 - the 42nd National Selection Conference of EYP Greece, has been striving the past few months to assure the safety of every participant and their maximum protection from COVID-19. Thus, the Head Organising Committee of the event, in collaboration with the Safety Team and the National Board of EYP Greece, have redacted the following sanitary protocol; the protocol specifies and further explains the protective measures that will be taken - both prior and during the Session - and has been approved by the General Assembly of the European Youth Parliament Greece.

It is important to note that, given the current epidemiological conditions, the Session will accommodate a contemporary model of structure when it comes to its Safety Team. The Team will consist of the following members, whose aim will be the assurance of every participant’s both physical and mental safety:

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The National Safe Person of EYP Greece

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An Event Medical Director

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An Event Safe Person

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An Event Psychologist

To continue, the concept of a COVID-19 “germ bubble” refers to close contacts with whom we do not practise mask use or maintain physical distancing. Everyone participating in the 42nd National Selection Conference of EYP Greece is expected to limit their external contacts to the highest possible extent for the duration of the event. In order to enter the event, every participant must showcase a vaccination certificate, a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test result (for detailed explanations on the aforementioned requirements, please refer to section 2.1) and - at the same time - undergo testing from the Session’s Medical Practitioner at the day of their arrival and present a negative result. After all, experiments1 in several countries, have shown that social interactions amongst people who tested negative for COVID-19, even without maintaining physical distancing, are safe and the potential transmission of COVID-19 is minimised.

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However, we are aware that a large number of participants (the Delegates who are originated in Thessaloniki, Greece) will be accommodated during the event at their permanent residence and, thus, will not be supervised for the time period after the end of the last activity of every day and before the beginning of the first activity of the following day. As a result, neither the Organising Team nor the Safety Team will be able to superintend the participants’ contacts at all times. We lay our trust and hope on everyone’s individual responsibility and expect the highest compliance possible when it comes to both national and Session-related COVID-19 regulations and restrictions.

1.1.

Pre-Session preparations 1.1.1.

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

The Head Organising Committee of the 42nd National Selection Conference of EYP Greece will ensure the following PPE for all participants: ➢

Hand sanitiser,

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Surgical masks,

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Gloves,

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Wet wipes of high protection,

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Sanitising sprays of high protection,

The selection and use of the above material is based on the instructions of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Organisation of Public Health (EODY/ΕΟΔΥ), for the use of PPE by non-health personnel within non-health structures.

1.1.2.

Welcome Booklet

There will be a specific section in the Welcome Booklet regarding the proposed measures above for the protection from COVID-19, as well as for the required protection material that participants are suggested to possess (such as additional masks, gloves and hand sanitiser for personal use). Also, due to the constant renewal of the national health protocols, the Booklet might be updated from the day of its release until the official beginning of the Session.

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Furthermore, in this section you can find additional instructions for the proper behaviour and protection from COVID-19 including specific practices and actions that participants will be urged to either follow or conduct. The aforementioned instructions are specified below: 1. Following the personal hygiene regulations such as the frequent hand washing and sneezing in the elbow, 2. Ensuring that there will be enough gloves, masks and hand sanitiser during the Session and prior to the participants’ arrival, 3. Notifying the Organising Team and/or the Safety Team in case of any weakness or potential symptoms and voluntary distancing from any other activity, 4. Using masks according to the national instructions - both indoors and outdoors during activities that require close human contact, 5. Mandatory holding of a European Health Insurance Card or Company Insurance before registering to the event during the day of Team Building for fereign participants.

6. Optional holding of a European Health Insurance Card or Company Insurance before registering to the event during the day of Team Building for Greek participants, since the possession of a national security number (AMKA) is sufficient for such needs. All Greek participants are highly urged to know their national security number upon entering the event.

These guidelines are a brief version of the more detailed ones that will be included in the Welcome Booklet, which will be available both in a digital format at all times.

1.1.3.

Officials

For the preparation of the Organising Team and of the Officials in general, there will be a COVID-19 module conducted by the Medical Practitioner of the Session. A COVID-19 Task Force will also be structured - with the Session’s Medical Practitioner and our National Safe Person serving as Heads of the Team, while members of the NC Board and the Organising Team will also be part of the aforementioned Task Force; the Task Force will be specifically trained, in order to daily check-up and test the participants as well as supervise and control any COVID-19 related procedure.

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The possession of a European Health Insurance Card or any other Company Insurance is, as mentioned above, mandatory for foreign participants, while Greek participants ought to be aware of their national security number (AMKA). This measure protects the participants in th unfortunate case of a COVID-19 emergency, as it ensures that one’s health needs will be economically covered until their mandatory quarantine is over and one can return to their country/city of residence.

1.2.

Inter-Session organisation and preparations 1.2.1.

Arrival plan

As of May 14th, the Greek government requires all visitors - in order to enter the country to fill in the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) at least 24 hours before arrival and to possess one of the following documents (separating enumeration): 1. A vaccination certificate issued by a certified authority (a vaccination certificate is considered valid 14 days after the final dose of the vaccine), 2. A negative PCR molecular test result from a laboratory; the test must be taken up to 72 hours before entry, 3. A negative antigen (rapid) test result from a laboratory; the test must be taken up to 48 hours before entry, 4. A certificate of recovery from the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection issued by a public authority or a certified laboratory (the certificate is issued 30 days after the day of the first positive COVID-19 test and is valid for the following 180 days), 5. Proof that the traveler was tested positive with COVID-19 in the past 30 to 180 days (it can be proved either by presenting a positive PCR molecular or an antigen test result performed by an authorized laboratory or a medical certificate confirming that the holder was tested positive with SARS-CoV-2 virus infection).

All certificates/indications must include the critical information (i.e. number of vaccination doses and their respective dates) in either English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Russian and the traveller’s full name must match the name on the passport and/or any other recognized travel document.

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During the event, we hold ourselves to the highest possible standards in regards to safety measures. Thus, to enter the Session one must possess (separating enumeration): 1. A vaccination certificate issued by a certified authority (a vaccination certificate is considered valid 14 days after the final dose of the vaccine), 2. A certificate of recovery from the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection issued by a public authority or a certified laboratory (the certificate is issued 30 days after the day of the first positive COVID-19 test and is valid for the following 180 days), 3. A negative PCR molecular test result or a negative antigen (Rapid) test result from an officially recognized laboratory; the PCR molecular test must be taken up to 72 hours before coming to the Session and the antigen (Rapid) test 48 hours before coming to the Session.

Please carefully note the following: We won’t be accepting a negative self-test before the participants’ entering the event; should you not fit in one of the above categories (1, 2), you ought to present a negative PCR molecular test or a negative antigen (Rapid) test.

1.2.2.

Venues

Being in touch and in constant communication with the selected Venues, the Organising Team will be informed of the existing and adopted protocols and will have access to the above, in case anyone requests further information.

1.2.3.

Transfers and Transportation

In cooperation and in constant communication with the chosen travel agency, the Organising Team will be fully informed of the transfer protocols and will have full access to them, should anyone need further information and clarifications. Employees of the company responsible for the transfers during the event will be fully vaccinated and masks will be required during every transportation.

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1.2.4.

Hygiene

The Head Organising Committee will assure that in every private agreement signed with the selected Venues, it is going to be clear that the proper disinfection of the spaces is required, as well as the regular cleaning of the Venues by specialised cleaning personnel and as the respective governmental protocols require. Additionally, the use of the protective equipment set out below will be mandatory: ➢

Hand sanitiser: Frequent and mandatory disinfection of the participants’ hands.

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Face masks: Preventative measures that are required by the government will be

followed, in accordance with the epidemiological data at the time of the Forum.

1.2.5.

Regular Testing

In the next segment, the term “rapid tests” is used to refer to the antigen detection tests, that are carried out with the help of specialised medical practitioners.

To begin with, we will follow the strategy of two (2) rapid tests per participant, providing an additional 10% of the tests for the possibility of a statistical error or the appearance of potential COVID-19 symptoms. These tests will be performed as follows: ➢

A test before the entry of every participant to the Session (on the 16th of

December for the Officials and on the 17th of the same month for the Delegates) ➢

A test before the start of the second day of Committee Work for every participant

of the Session (on the 19th of December) The testing will be carried out by the Session’s Safety Team and, in particular, by the event’s Medical Practitioner in collaboration with the National Safe Person of EYP Greece and the Session’s COVID-19 Task Force. This number of tests is considered sufficient by the Session’s Safety Team and the medical equipment required (the rapid testing equipment) will be sponsored by a local Medical Clinic.

At the same time, there will be daily temperature screening of the participants at a specific time of the day and recording of the aforementioned temperature. If the temperature of a participant is higher than 37 degrees Celsius, then the participant should be isolated in a shady place and re-examined. In the unfortunate case that the

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re-examination indicates the same, raised temperature, the participant will undergo rapid (antigen) testing.

1.2.6.

Committee Structure

For the management and distribution of the material, a precise pre-Session plan will be formatted and carried out. The Session’s material will be divided into boxes per committee per day, which will precisely determine the parts of the material that will be used exclusively by each group and / or activity, as described above. This material: ➢

It will be disinfected before and after its use for the selected activity,

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It will be carried to and from the committees only by the responsible members of the Organising Team, performing the use of a mask and gloves, It will be recorded in detail by the responsible members of the Organising Team

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with the responsible member of the Head Organising Committee for the detection and tracing of possible cases, It will remain for as long as possible with the group and/or committee that uses it,

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while its sharing by more than one group of committees will be avoided, The responsible members of the Organising Team at the "refill station" of the

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event at the end of the conference program will have to pick it up and return it, after disinfecting it, so that it can be thoroughly disinfected.

1.2.7.

Wide participation Activities

The General Assembly and the Opening Ceremony will take place in the safest possible way, following the national and international restrictions when it comes to multitudinous gatherings. It goes without saying that the protocols of each venue will also be respected to the highest extent.

1.3.

Dealing with a COVID-19 positive case

In case a participant portrays a positive test result of COVID-19 during in-Session testing, the following steps will be followed:

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1. Contacting the Medical Practitioner of the Session immediately to examine and isolate the possible case and indicate our next steps, in contact with the event’s COVID-19 Task Force, 2. Repeating the antigen test for a second time and, in the unfortunate case of a second positive result, transferring the participant to our collaborating Microbiological Center for the conduct of a molecular PCR test (the cost will be covered by the event), 3. Until the result of the molecular PCR test is issued, the participant will be treated as a positive case, 4. In case of a positive molecular PCR test, the instructions of the Session’s Medical Director and EODY/ΕΟΔΥ will be followed.

5. At the same time, contacts of the COVID-19 positive case will be tracked (the procedure will be completed according to the Data Collection Process analysed below), starting with the case’s individual group (in case said person is an Official), or their committee (in case they are a Delegate).

1.4 Data Collection For better management and control of close contacts during the event as well as for the detection, monitoring and tracking of contacts, the creation of a database has been suggested.

The database will include information about people participating in the event and, thus, interacting with one another. Information of participants, guests, and employees from various services collaborating with the Session will be collected in regards to their: ➢

Full Name and contact information,

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Emergency contact’s full name and contact information,

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Time or arrival and departure to/from the event’s venues,

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Temperature screening.

This database will be created with respect and according to the relative GDPR regulations after receiving written consent from the participants. The management of the collected data will remain under the jurisdiction of the GDPR Officer of EYP Greece (Ms. Niki Vegkou) and/or the person responsible for planning and implementing the COVID-19 measures for the event. This database, and by extension all data collected, will be deleted 30 days after the event has ended.

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COVID-19 Protocol // 42nd National Selection Conference of EYP Greece Thessaloniki, 17-20 December '21 | m: thessaloniki.nsc@eypgreece.org