devopsdays Los Angeles - COVID-19 Policy

Update (June 28, 2022)

In August we published our plans (below) to keep SCALE staff and attendees as safe as possible from the COVID-19 pandemic. Much has changed in the last 10 months, but the two best ways to defend against the virus are still vaccines and masks. We wanted to update everyone on the specifics of our COVID-19 policy for SCALE 19X.

While widespread vaccines in the US have dramatically reduced both hospitalizations and deaths, new variants continue to spread and cases are on the rise. To ensure the safety of our staff and attendees, we will have a vaccine-or-test mandate as well as a mask mandate. California suggests that all mega-events (of which SCALE is) to require vaccines and masks, which we will follow.

During check-in, badges will be printed behind the desk, and to get your badge you will need to show both:

ID
Proof of vaccination or a negative FDA-approved lab-based test result with your name on it that was done within 72 hours

Once you have your badge you will be free to come and go as you please for the remainder of the conference.

Attendees will be expected to keep a mask over their nose and mouth while indoors except while actively eating or drinking. Speakers will not be required to wear masks while on stage.

We are so excited to be returning to live events and to see everyone in person again, finally! Guarding everyone’s health and safety will help ensure we continue to have live events in the future. We greatly appreciate your help and cooperation in these efforts.

Original post

With the launch of the SCALE 19x website and registration, we wanted to take a moment and discuss our plans around COVID-19 for our 2022 event.

First and foremost, it needs to be stressed that this is a quickly-evolving pandemic and we’re still nearly 7 months from SCALE 19x. That means things are likely to change between now and then and we will continue to adjust our plans in accordance with guidance from health experts, so please bear with us as this all evolves. However, rest assured we will meet or exceed the requirements laid out by the CDC and LA County Health Department when the time comes. In the meantime, let’s talk a bit about what we’ve got now.

Vaccine Requirements

We are requiring vaccines this year, and you will notice a checkbox in registration to confirm that you are vaccinated if eligible. If you cannot be vaccinated due to eligibility or medical reasons, in line with CA requirements you will be required to show proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the event.

Mask Requirements

At the moment there is a mask requirement for “all indoor public settings, venues, gatherings, and businesses, such as, but not limited to: offices, retail, restaurants and bars, theaters, family entertainment centers, conference centers, and state and local government offices serving the public” so as of now, all staff and attendees will be required to wear a mask at all times.

Comfort Markers

We recognize that as we come back to in-person events, not everyone will be ready to or want to have the same levels of physical proximity. To that end, we will be providing some mechanism for people to indicate what level of physical contact or distance they prefer: likely stickers or ribbons to put on badges.

Venue, Sanitizer, etc.

As with SCALE 18x, we will work closely with the venues to ensure everyone’s safety. Details will be posted as we get closer to the event. We will also once again have plenty of hand sanitizer and wipes around.

Keep Checking Back!

As we clarify more practices and policies we’ll have, we will let you know. Booster shots, new variants, or other new information may allow us to be more lenient or require us to be more strict. We will keep a close eye on what the experts say and update this page accordingly.

We are working hard to bring SCALE to you in the safest possible way and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding. The last year and half have been difficult on everyone and we are beyond excited to welcome you back!

Additional Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Corona Virus portal
World Health OrganizationCoronavirus Myth Busters and Daily Situation Reports
Johns Hopkins real-time dashboard

FAQ

Why is there a vaccine requirement?

CA currently requires this for all events over 1000 people. That said, we plan to keep this requirement even if that changes both so that people can plan and so that we can ensure the safety of those who are not eligible for vaccines such as the many kids that attend SCALE.

It’s worth noting this decision is in line with many others: DEFCON required vaccines, Pasadena requires vaccination for health care workers, San Francisco Bar Alliance requires vaccines for patrons, companies including Disney, Walmart, Facebook, and Google will require employees to be vaccinated, and the list goes on.

In addition, a variety of sponsors and attendees reached out to us saying they would not feel safe attending without vaccine requirements.

If this isn’t something you can accommodate, we invite you to enjoy the live stream and look forward to welcoming you back at a future SCALE.