Hosting an event and COVID-19 testing
Q: Is it OK to ask guests to get a COVID-19 test before coming to your event?
A: It would be asking a lot of your invitees to get tested for the virus before coming to your event, and it’s not guaranteed to prevent the spread of the disease at your function.
How would you verify they took the test and that the results were negative? What if some invitees were tested a week before your event and the results were negative but then they are possibly exposed to the virus after the test? If some guests don’t get the test results in time for the party, would you tell them they can’t attend? And if there is a cost for the test, would you expect your invitees to pay for it?
Make sure your event does not exceed state recommended gathering sizes and that there is enough space to allow people to be at least 6 feet apart. You should also have some disposable masks and bottles of hand sanitizer available.
— Arden Clise, author of “Spinach in Your Boss’s Teeth: Etiquette Essentials for Professional Success”
A: First off, WHAT EVENT ARE YOU HAVING IN THESE CORONA TIMES? Sorry if I’m yelling, but there’s a pandemic, and I feel we haven’t had nearly enough yelling about this. I’m going to assume, for the sake of my sanity, that this is an event that cannot be moved.
There are superspreader events happening nationwide, and it’s killed people who didn’t even attend them. This is not your Aunt Barb’s advice column. You do what you gotta do to keep people healthy. We’re in a new place, and safety
first. You wanna hold an event? You have to do it safely. Even safer than that. No, more. Great.
— Corrbette Pasko, actor,
writer, professional swearer, Write Club host