[resource-net] Opening up your events/venues during/after COVID-19?

[Julian Oliver]

..on Tue, Jun 02, 2020 at 01:04:27PM +0200, Rachel Uwa wrote:
> 
> I hope you're all healthy and well.
> I'm writing as I'm curious about the state of things with your events and
> venues. I heard Disruption Network Lab over the weekend mention at their
> conference that they are holding a film screening at the end of July at
> ACUD and wondered where the rest of the community is at.
> 
> I'm curious how you're all making your decisions.
> 
> I'm having to decide on whether to run, postpone or cancel classes that
> were supposed to take place here in Berlin this summer. Just when I think
> I've made a decision things start to feel "normal" and I wonder how the
> rest of you are making or not making your decisions. Impromptu event
> support group?
> 

I guess a major consideration is that a 2nd wave is not an if, but a 'when' and
'how big'. This is the view of a great many disease pathologists and
virologists, most recently Dr. Andrea Ammon, EU advisor:

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/top-eu-doctor-europe-should-brace-itself-for-second-wave-of-coronavirus

---

"The prospect of a second wave of coronavirus infection across Europe is no
longer a distant theory, according to the director of the EU agency responsible
for advising governments – including the UK – on disease control.

“The question is when and how big, that is the question in my view,” said Dr
Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
(ECDC)."

----

Last week the WHO warned of an 'immediate second peak' in areas where the
infection rates are declining:

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-peak-idUSKBN2311VJ

----

"When we speak about a second wave classically what we often mean is there will
be a first wave of the disease by itself, and then it recurs months later. And
that may be a reality for many countries in a number of months’ time,” Ryan
said.

“But we need also to be cognizant of the fact that the disease can jump up at
any time. We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way
down now it is going to keep going down and we are get a number of months to get
ready for a second wave. We may get a second peak in this wave.”

----

The unsettling truth is that this is probably just the beginning, one of at
least 3 waves, for the EU. The loosening of lockdowns will almost certainly
bootstrap the 2nd wave, one which may spike into view quite soon. So it follows
that any events planned and deployed responsibly (open air if possible, spaced
for distancing, rivers of hand sanitiser, etc) are probably best done sooner
than later, where possible!

Wishing you all good health, 

Julian