LAC | DPH | Hosting Mega Events

PDFS: English | Translations pending

Updates

10-21-21

Updated to change title to “Mega Events” and to align content to reflect best practice recommendations and requirements for Mega Events.

9-29-21

Effective November 1, 2021: Operators of Mega Events must cross-check proof of full vaccination or negative COVID-19 viral test results for attendees who are 18 years or older against photo identification.
Operators of Outdoor Mega Events are to provide masks to attendees.

Menu Page Updated 10-21-21

On this page

Follow mask rules for employees & attendees
Screen attendees
Reduce crowding, especially indoors
Ventilate
Support handwashing
Communicate

Best Practices for Businesses

General Guidance

Health Officer Orders and Protocols

Related Resources

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Introduction

Given the ongoing community transmission of COVID-19 and the predominant presence of the Delta variant, masking indoors, regardless of vaccination status, is essential to slowing the spread of COVID-19 at events, within businesses, and in the community. The Delta variant of the virus spreads much more easily than other strains of the virus.

Per published reports, factors that increase the risk of infection, including transmission to people more than 6 feet away, include:

Enclosed spaces with inadequate ventilation or air handling that allow for build-up of exhaled respiratory fluids, especially very fine droplets and aerosol particles, in the air space.
Increased exhalation of respiratory fluids that can occur when an infectious person is engaged in physical exertion or raises their voice (e.g., exercising, shouting, singing).
Prolonged exposure to these conditions.

Below is a summary of requirements and best practices for businesses that host Mega Events to enhance safety for their workers, customers, and communities, and to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission within their establishments.

Mega Events include indoor events with more than 1,000 attendees and outdoor events with more than 10,000 attendees. Mega Events must follow the requirements of the LA County Health Officer Order. Examples of Mega Events include, but are not limited to: conventions, conferences, expos, concerts, shows, sporting events, live entertainment, fairs, festivals, parades, theme parks, amusement parks, water parks, marathons or endurance races and car shows. Operators that host smaller events should review and follow DPH Best Practice Guidance to Prevent COVID-19 in Museums, Venues, and Cultural Institutions.

In addition to the provisions of the Health Officer Order, please note:

Mega Events must also follow State Guidance for Mega Events. Please note that the directives in the LA County Health Officer Order (outlined in this guidance below) must be followed when they are more stringent than the State Guidance.
Requirements for employees are different than those for attendees. Employers must follow the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (Cal/OSHA ETS) and the LA County Health Officer Order. Please note that the directives in the LA County Health Officer Order must be followed when they are more stringent than the Cal/OSHA ETS.

Please be sure to read and follow the general guidance for businesses & employers.
The specific best practices below are intended to supplement the general guidance.

Best Practices and Requirements to Enhance Safety at Higher-Risk Settings

Higher Risk Settings: Mega Events are higher risk for COVID-19 transmission because the attendees are spending long periods of time physically close to large numbers of people they don't usually interact with, thereby increasing the risk that respiratory particles will be transmitted between attendees and participants if someone present is infected.

To enhance safety and lower the risk of transmission at Mega Events, the LA County Health Officer Order requires:

Indoor Mega Events

All attendees must show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a pre-entry (diagnostic) test result prior to entry.
Attendees can no longer self-attest to prove vaccination status or a negative test result, as per the State.

Outdoor Mega Events:

All attendees ages 12 and over at Outdoor Mega Events must show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a pre-entry (diagnostic) test result, taken within 72 hours prior to entry.
Attendees can no longer self-attest to prove vaccination status or a negative test result, as per the State.
Beginning November 1, 2021, Operators of Outdoor Mega Events must cross-check proof of full vaccination or negative COVID-19 viral test result for attendees who are 18 years or older against photo identification.

See the DPH Business Compliance Toolkit for helpful implementation resources and the Mega Event FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions about the Health Officer Order.

Follow mask rules for employees and attendees

Attendees: All persons attending indoor and outdoor Mega Events are required to bring and wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, at the event, except while actively eating and drinking in designated areas. Attendees must also wear masks at outdoor events when they enter indoor areas, such as restrooms, restaurants, retail shops, concourses, or concession stands, even if the event is not large enough to be considered a Mega Event.
- Masks must be worn except when customers are actively eating and drinking. When actively eating and drinking indoors or at outdoor Mega Events, customers must be seated or positioned at a table, counter, or other stationary location. “Actively eating or drinking” refers to the limited time during which the mask can be briefly removed to eat or drink, after which it must be immediately put back on. The customer must wear a mask whenever they are not actively eating or drinking, such as when they are waiting to be served, between courses or drinks, or while seated after finishing the food or drink.
Outdoor Mega Events: To enhance safety and lower the risk of transmission at large outdoor events, operators of outdoor Mega Events must require all attendees and staff, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks while at the event. For all other outdoor events (those with fewer than 10,000 attendees), it is strongly recommended that attendees who are not fully vaccinated wear masks when they are in crowded outdoor settings and when they are in sustained close contact with others whose vaccination status is not known. Additional recommendations:
- Provide masks at large crowded outdoor events for those who are not fully vaccinated and arrive without them.
- Require customers to wear masks at concession stands if they are ordering or picking up food and/or beverages; provide masks at concession stands to those customers that are not masked.

Employees*: All employees, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks when working indoors, in shared vehicles, or at an outdoor Mega Event. Masks need not be worn indoors if the employee is alone in a room or actively eating or drinking. Public Health strongly recommends that all employees who are eating or drinking indoors be spaced at least 6 feet from other persons.
- Upon request, employers are required to provide employees who are not fully vaccinated with the correct-size respirator for voluntary use, along with basic instructions on how to use the respirator. Respirators must be replaced if they get damaged, deformed, dirty, or difficult to breathe through. For more information about free and low-cost PPE for businesses and organizations visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/docs/FreeAndLowCostPPE.pdf.
- Employees who work in a setting where they are in close contact with other people who may not be fully vaccinated should be encouraged to wear a higher level of protection, such as “double-masking” (wearing a cloth mask OVER a surgical mask), or a respirator. This is particularly important if the employee is not fully vaccinated and is working in an indoor setting, in a crowded outdoor setting, or in a shared vehicle.
- Consider requiring staff to also wear eye protection in addition to a respirator if they are not fully vaccinated and have frequent close contact with others, in particular if they work in the food and beverage service areas where customers are actively eating or drinking.
- Performers or presenters must wear face masks indoors and at outdoor Mega Events except when performing a task that cannot feasibly be done while wearing a mask. For ongoing productions, test performers and any crew who are not fully vaccinated and who are working closely with others at least once before the production and then two times per week for the duration of the production.
- See the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order page and the Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards page for more information about mask requirements. Please note that the directives in the LA County Health Officer Order must be followed when they are more stringent than the Cal/OSHA temporary standards.

* Some independent contractors are considered as employees under the State Labor Code. For more details, check the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Independent contractor versus employee webpage.

Summary of mask and testing/vaccination rules that apply to large events

Risk varies based on the size of an event and whether it occurs indoors or outdoors. Outdoor events and those with lower numbers of attendees pose less of a risk of transmission compared to large, indoor events. Below is a table that describes the different rules that apply based on these two event characteristics.

Event Location	Number of Attendees	Masking Rules	Proof of Full Vaccination (or negative test taken in past 72 hours) required for patrons?	Performer Requirements?
INDOOR	Under 1,000	Required for all — fully vaccinated and not fully vaccinated	Strongly recommended	Performers may unmask to perform indoors if they are fully vaccinated or tested at least twice weekly. May also unmask outdoors. Ideally, performers should be at least 12 feet from audience members.
INDOOR	1,000 or more (Mega Event)	Required for all — fully vaccinated and not fully vaccinated	Required
OUTDOOR**	Under 10,000	Recommended but not required	Recommended
OUTDOOR**	10,000 or more (Mega Event)	Required for all — fully vaccinated and not fully vaccinated	Required

** Please note that effective November 4, 2021, venues located in LA City will be required to implement a vaccination requirement for all outdoor events with 5,000 or more attendees. See the LA City ordinance webpage for more information at safepassla.org.

Screen attendees

Screen guests, staff, performers, and crew for symptoms before they attend the event and ask them not to attend if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or if they are under isolation or quarantine orders.
All attendees at Indoor Mega Events must show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a pre-entry (diagnostic) test result prior to entry. Attendees can no longer self-attest to prove vaccination status or a negative test result as per the State.
Beginning October 7, 2021, all attendees ages 12 and over at Outdoor Mega Events must show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a pre-entry (diagnostic) test result taken within 72 hours prior to entry. Attestation is no longer sufficient to prove vaccination or test status. See the Vaccine Verification Guide and Test Verification Guide for more information.

Reduce crowding, especially indoors

Establish procedures to prevent crowding among persons waiting to enter or exit an event.
If there will be a presentation or performance, maintain at least a 12-foot distance from performers and audience members unless there is verification that everyone is fully vaccinated. Place any unvaccinated performers that sing, yell, or play wind and brass instruments at least 12 feet away from others.
Follow DPH Food and Beverage Service recommendations if you serve refreshments at your event. Dining outdoors is best. If indoors, it is recommended that you have a separate area in your venue for drinking and dining to minimize mixing of people who are wearing masks continuously and those who are removing their masks while they are actively eating or drinking. Diners must be sitting or standing in a stationary place or in their ticketed seat while eating or drinking.

Support handwashing

Place handwashing stations or hand sanitizer at entry and outside communal bathrooms with signage promoting use.
Encourage frequent handwashing.
Posters in multiple languages that remind people to wash or sanitize their hands and show how to wash their hands are available in the signage section.

Ventilate

If your event is held indoors, make sure your building’s HVAC system is in good, working order.
Maximize ventilation. Options include installing portable high-efficiency air cleaners, upgrading the building’s air filters to the highest efficiency possible, and making other modifications to increase the quantity of outside air and ventilation in all working areas.
When weather and working conditions allow, increase fresh outdoor air by opening windows and doors. Consider using fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows – position window fans to blow air outward, not inward.
Decrease occupancy in areas where outdoor ventilation cannot be increased. Consider use of carbon dioxide monitors to monitor the effectiveness of your ventilation in more densely occupied indoor spaces.
If your event is held indoors and has performers that will generate aerosols (such as singers or musicians playing wind or brass instruments) take the following steps:
- Assess the direction of the air flow in the room to determine where the air is exiting the room. In buildings with HVAC systems, this will be the air-return vents; if doors or windows are open, check the direction that the air is flowing.
- During performances (including rehearsals), position aerosol-generating performers closer to the locations where the air is exiting the room.
See State Interim guidance for Ventilation, Filtration, and Air Quality in Indoor Environments.

Communicate

Assign staff to remind attendees that they must wear a face mask at all times when indoors at large events or in all areas of the venue when attending an outdoor Mega Event, except when they are actively eating or drinking as specified above.
Use advanced registration as much as possible for your event so you know how many people will attend. Advanced registration can also help you to convey your COVID-19 safety plans to guests before they attend.
Use your online platforms to communicate your COVID-19 safety policies to the public, including the requirement that all attendees must wear a face mask while indoors or when attending an outdoor Mega Event.
Make sure all guests are aware of and follow the Los Angeles County Department of Health Travel Advisory.

Best Practices to Prevent COVID-19

Guidance for Mega Events