Protocols 

Vaccinations 

• Chautauqua Institution strongly recommends vaccinations for all who can acquire them. Youth and family programs staff will not verify vaccination status or require proof of negative test for participants to attend any youth programming.  
• Youth and family program staff will be fully vaccinated or given a confidential accommodation in accordance with Chautauqua Institution’s hiring policies.

Testing

• Regular testing is recommended for all children attending youth and family programs. 

Face Coverings 

• Face coverings are required indoors in all youth program facilities.  
• To request an accommodation for children with disabilities who are unable to wear a mask, please email Alyssa Porter, aporter@chq.org. 
• Face coverings are required on Children’s School buses. 

Exhibiting Symptoms 

• Parents and guardians are expected to monitor their children for symptoms of Covid-19. Children who are experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 will not be permitted to attend programming. 
• Families will be required to pick up their child or confirm that their child may return home on their own if symptoms develop during the program. Children who develop symptoms during the program will be isolated from their group until departure.

Close Contact  

• If your child is considered a close contact of someone who tests positive for Covid-19, they will be permitted to attend program if they wear a mask and are not symptomatic.  

Ventilation  

• Air ventilation will be increased in all buildings by using fans, as well as opening doors and windows when possible.  

Activities 

• Consistent staffing will be maintained in groups when possible. 
• Activities will be limited to those that program leadership determine can be offered with low risk for COVID-19 transmission. 
• Children will be required to wash their hands and sanitize at regular intervals.

Confirmed Positive Case 

• If there is a confirmed positive case in a program, program leadership will immediately report the case to the Director of Youth and Family Programs. 
  • Affected venues will be evaluated for enhanced cleaning needs. 
  • Registered families will be notified if their child was potentially exposed to the confirmed positive case. 
  • If a youth and family program is canceled due to a positive case, registered families will be notified of any change in program schedule.  
  • Refunds for missed program days will be issued for any family who chooses to or must withdraw their child from youth programs due to a positive case.  
    • Refunds will not be automatically processed; to request a refund, families must email the Ticket Office at ticketoffice@chq.org. Please allow up to 4 weeks to process this refund.  
• As a courtesy to other families, we urge all families to immediately report positive cases for any child who participated in any program in the past three days of their last attendance at a Chautauqua Institution youth program (even if the child has already left Chautauqua) by emailing aporter@chq.org AND safety@chq.org; include the child’s name, program, group (if applicable), and date of positive test result in the email.
  • Participants who test positive for COVID-19 and do not have symptoms are permitted to return to programming 10 days after the positive test result. 
  • Participants who test positive and develop COVID-19 symptoms are permitted to return to programming 10 days after illness onset only if they are no longer experiencing symptoms. If a child is still experiencing symptoms after 10 days, they may return to programming after being symptom free for 24 hours.