General Precautions 

All restrictions made by the BC Health Officer (as shown here https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/response will apply, as will any restrictions set by the local health area or the venue. 

Vaccination Policy 

Throughout the pandemic we have placed the health and safety of everyone in the FIRST community at the forefront of our planning. Ensuring high rates of vaccination remains one of the most important ways we can protect public health.  

The Delta and Omicron variants, along with rising infection rates in the broader community, have informed the decision by FIRST Robotics British Columbia to institute a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for all attendees of any in-person indoor FIRST Robotics British Columbia event held in British Columbia.  

All attendees who are eligible and able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine must present proof of full vaccination, as per the Government of British Columbia’s Public Health Order. This is required to be checked via QR code 

Checking Vaccinations 

Verifying proof: SOFMC exclusively uses the BC Vaccine Card Verifier app in order to scan the barcodes to confirm proof. 

  • After verifying proof of vaccination, we also review ID. In reviewing ID, we match the name listed on the BC Vaccine Card or other form of proof of vaccination with the person we’re verifying. Do not need to check ID for youth aged 12 to 18. Some people may have their legal name on their vaccine card and a preferred or common name on their ID. We may also ask for a secondary piece of ID and use discretion. 
  • People from other Canadian provinces or territories must show provincially/territorially officially recognized vaccine record and valid government photo ID 
  • International visitors must show proof of vaccination they used to enter Canada (like ArriveCAN) and passport 
  • Accepted forms of valid government photo ID: B.C. driver’s license or BC Services Card or Passport 

Health Check 

Anyone experiencing symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 (listed below) should not enter the venue. Should you begin to feel sick during the event, you should notify the event director. You will be directed to an area separated from the event. 

  • Fever and/or chills  
  • Temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius/100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and/or chills  
  • Cough or barking cough (croup)  
  • Continuous, more than usual, making a whistling noise when breathing (not related to asthma, post-infectious reactive airways, or other known causes or conditions you already have) 
  • Shortness of breath  
  • Out of breath, unable to breathe deeply (not related to asthma or other known causes or conditions you already have) 
  • Decrease or loss of taste or smell  
  • Not related to seasonal allergies, neurological disorders, or other known causes or conditions you already have 
  • Tiredness  
  • Unusual, fatigue, lack of energy (not related to depression, insomnia, thyroid dysfunction, or other known causes or conditions you already have) 
  • Muscle aches  
  • Unexplained, unusual, or long-lasting (not related to sudden injury, fibromyalgia, or other known causes or conditions) 

Personal Protective Equipment 

All event staff, volunteers, spectators and participants must wear a face mask when inside the event venue, except when eating or drinking. Anyone eating or drinking should be seated before removing their mask.  

Face masks must be worn correctly, covering both the nose and mouth. 

The following mask types are NOT approved for use at this event: 

  • Cloth masks with exhalation valves or vents since they allow respiratory droplets containing the virus to escape. 
  • A face shield used alone without a face mask 
  • Loose mesh 
  • Neck-gaiters 
  • Bandanas 
  • Scarves 
  • Ski masks 
  • Balaclavas 
  • Plastic or other non-breathable materials as a face mask 

Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the venue and should be used frequently. 

Social Distancing 

Whenever possible, everyone should avoid close contact with others, especially people from other teams, and maintain a distance of 2 m or more. 

There should not be any shaking hands, high fives, etc. during the event. 

Extra spacing should be provided between team pit areas, and seating arrangements in the stands and eating areas should provide for extra space between individuals and between teams. 

Pit Areas 

Team pit areas will be spaced approximately 2m apart. Teams will be limited to 8 members in the pit area at any given time. Aisles will be sized appropriately to allow for distancing. Attendees are not permitted to enter the pits of other teams. 

Wrist bands will be provided to each team to limit the number of students and mentors in the pit area. Only those wearing a wrist band will be allowed into the pit or field area. Wrist Bands will be Silicone to allow them to be passed to members that need to be in the pits. 

Stands 

The stands will be divided into a number of sections equal to the number of registered teams at the event, with each section spaced approximately 2m apart. Teams will be randomly assigned to these sections at check-in. Teams may request accessible seating in advance of the event. Team members will be required to only be in their designated team section while in the stands. Attendees are not permitted to enter the team section of other teams. As always, loitering in the aisles is not permitted. 

Queuing 

Floor markings will be used to ensure distancing between teams in the queuing line. 

Spectators 

Spectators will not be allowed at the Canadian Pacific Regional. All attendees must be registered on a team roster, a volunteer, a FIRST Staff member or invited VIP. 

Surface Sanitization 

High-touch surfaces will be sanitized at least once a day with disinfecting wipes. Specific items/rooms may have a more frequent sanitization schedule, especially areas where food/beverages are being consumed. Examples of high-touch surfaces include but are not limited to: pens, tables, doorknobs, handles, desks, scoring computer keyboard, phones, referee tablets. 

Signage at events 

Posters, signs and collateral communication products will be available at entrances and other strategic locations at events informing attendees of important FIRST Robotics British Columbia COVID-19 policy and procedural information. Posters and signs will include information on:  

  • Vaccine requirements of attendees 
  • COVID screening questions  
  • PPE requirements (eg: face mask required when indoors, safety glasses in designated areas, etc.)  
  • Personal hygiene reminders (ie: hand washing/sanitizing)  
  • Physical distancing reminders  
  • COVID safety reminders in designated areas (eg: where consuming food or drink, rooms with capacity limits, etc.)  
  • Pedestrian traffic flow 

Consent and Release 

A completed and signed FIRST Consent and Release Form for BC is required for all attendees, including but not limited to event staff, volunteers, coaches, mentors, students, and spectators. The primary coach will provide the completed and signed Consent and Release Forms for their team and any team coaches and mentors at team check-in or online before the event. 

Fill out the Waiver at the link below 

Sign Canadian Pacific Regional Waiver