This Guidance is to assist school graduations, drive-in movies, and faith-based drive-thru ceremonies in operating as safely as possible.
For purposes of this guidance, a vehicle-based school graduation, drive-in movie, or faith-based drive-thru ceremonies is a gathering where every participant, excluding official event personnel necessary to facilitate the gathering or ceremony (including the host and security), remains in a fully enclosed motorized vehicle during the entirety of the gathering or ceremony. The occupants of a vehicle (“Participants”) must be members of the same household and shall not change vehicles during the gathering. Further, no more than the legal occupancy in the vehicle is allowed. Official event personnel and security may remain outside. For clarity, an enclosed vehicle does not include a motorcycle, a convertible with the top open, a vehicle with no doors, or bicycle.
These gatherings should adhere to the following:
Host, Personnel, Gathering Plan. The gathering should have a designated organizational host (“Host”) who is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Amendment No. 3 and the Shelter in Place Order (C19-09) during the gathering. Only those personnel of the organization necessary to facilitate the gathering and to ensure compliance can be outside their vehicles during the gather (“Event Personnel”). In addition, the Host should:
- For gatherings of more than 10 vehicles, provide security staffing (the “Agency”) and pay reasonable costs if provided by a law enforcement Agency. The Host should acquire security sufficient to ensure compliance with the Order and address any traffic and safety issues at its own The amount of security necessary should be determined by the entity providing security but should be no more than that deemed necessary to maintain safety and ensure compliance with the Order. For clarity, if the Host already employs security, it may use its existing security officers.
- Develop and make publically available a Gathering Plan (see Gathering Plan section below).
- Ensure Participants and Event Personnel adhere to the Facial Covering Order (C19-07) and the Social Distancing and Hygiene Requirements as described in the Shelter in Place Order (C19-09) at all
Participants of Vehicles. Participants of a vehicle must be members of the same household and shall not change vehicles during the gathering. Further, no more than the legal occupancy in the vehicle should be allowed. Event Personnel are not considered Participants of a vehicle and may remain outside.
Location. The gathering should take place in an outside location large enough to accommodate the distancing requirements of the Shelter in Place Order (C19-09), e.g. a parking lot or similar space. Further, line spacing between vehicles should be sufficient to allow for emergency entry and exit. The location must be such that it can ensure exclusion of those not invited, but this requirement can be achieved by security. If the location is not the property of the Host, the Host should provide the property owner of the location with the Gathering Plan and obtain written permission or agreement to utilize a location that specifically acknowledges receipt of the Gathering Plan.
Invite Only. The gathering should proceed by invitation only, with the limit tied to the capacity size of the location.
Limits. Each gathering should be limited to no more than 200 vehicles and should be no longer than 3 hours.
Windows. If any of the windows on a vehicle is open, the Participants must wear a face covering in conformance with the Order of the Health Officer C19-07.
Remain in the Vehicle Exceptions. Except in the event of an emergency, including the need to use the restroom, Participants should remain in the vehicle unless Event Personnel have given specific expressed permission for a participant to leave the vehicle for a brief period of time. Such permission should be limited to one vehicle at a time. For clarity, Participants should not use their time outside of the vehicle to interact with Participants of other vehicles.
Restrooms. Restrooms should be made available. Event Personnel should have a plan for how to make restrooms available and how to keep social distancing to prevent crowding (such as establishing a line system that adheres to Social Distancing and Hygiene Requirements and limiting lines to no more than 10 people). Event Personnel should make hand sanitizer or a hand washing station available to the users of the bathrooms. Restrooms should be closed and sanitized every hour. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html Event Personnel should have a plan in place to inform Participants before the event that they must remain in their vehicles at all times unless given specific expressed permission to leave their vehicle by Event Personnel or during an emergency (such as a restroom emergency). Participants should not use their time outside of the vehicle to interact with Participants of other vehicles.
Local Law. The gathering must comply with general requirements of the jurisdiction where it occurs, including any permit program established by a jurisdiction. Jurisdictions that require a permitting process must be provided a copy of the Gathering Plan (see Gathering Plan section below).
Prohibition on Providing, Selling, or Exchanging. Retail sales or exchanges of any items or food should not take place during the gathering. As a limited exception, the Host may provide a significant document to one participant at a time, e.g. a diploma or other paper, while adhering to Social Distancing and Hygiene Requirements described in the Shelter in Place Order (C19-09) and the Facial Covering Order (C19-07). Any items or food brought by Participants should remain in the vehicle.
The Gathering Plan. A Gathering Plan should be publically available at least one week before the event. The Gathering Plan should also be posted prominently at the gathering location and should include the following, as applicable:
- Host contact information, including cell phone number and e-mail address;
- The total number of Event Personnel that will be providing services during the gathering;
- How it will limit the number of vehicles that can enter the designated location for the event;
- How the arrangement of vehicles will allow for safe distances from one another and at all times;
- How the arrangement of vehicles will allow for line spacing between vehicles sufficient for emergency exist;
- How the Event Personnel will monitor the gathering so that only on participant of a vehicle is allowed to exit their vehicle at a time during the gathering (except for during an emergency, including restroom emergency);
Travel. Traveling for the purpose of attending and returning from a vehicle-based school graduation, drive-in movie, or faith-based drive-thru ceremonies will be considered permitted travel as provided by the Shelter in Place Order.