Indoor Entertainment Protocols

Indoor Entertainment Protocols

Including game halls to prevent from Covid-19

Safe environment and social distancing

Guidelines and requirements related to the indoor entertainment environment:

• Floor stickers or clear signs must be placed to ensure the application of social distancing (for a distance of not less than 1.5 to 2 meters) in waiting areas such as entrances, ticket office, food and beverage selling outlets, and restrooms.
• Social distancing must be applied between the members of musical bands or theater groups, leaving a distance of at least 1.5 meters between individuals, and reduce the number of organizers and members of the band or group if possible. Also, the audience’s participation in the activities and them coming up to the stage must be disallowed to prevent crowding.
• Chairs or seating areas must be designed in a way that ensures the application of social distancing (for a distance of not less than 1.5 to 2 meters).
• It is It is advised not to conduct activities that involve community or physical participation.
• The capacity of indoor spaces in entertainment places must be reduced to ensure a distance of at least 1.5 to 2 meters between each person to reduce crowding, with the assignment of security guards and volunteers to organize and separate any congestion.
• It is preferable to visit entertainment places through prior booking or reservation by visitors through an application supervised by the authority in charge of the entertainment place to reduce crowding and large gatherings on the site and facilitate the organization of visits.
• Certain entrances and exits must be allocated and organizers must be assigned at the doors to ensure the entry and exit process of visitors, prevent crowding, and ensure that the recommended physical distance is maintained. It is preferable for the organizers to be security guards and volunteers.
• It is advised to cancel or postpone large events and activities in entertainment venues, especially those activities that are accompanied by crowding, jostling or closeness between visitors, such as musical or acrobatic performances.
• It is advised to cancel gatherings at the level of the entertainment venue, and if there is crowding within those places, it is advisable to divide the visitors of the place into small groups so as to ensure the achievement of social distancing by a distance of not less 1.5 to 2 meters.
• It is not recommended to go to water entertainment parks due to the possibility of crowding and physical contact, and it should be postponed to a later stage.
• Hand sanitizers should be distributed and placed in prominent places at doors and restrooms so that they are easily accessible by all visitors.
• Hand sanitizer must contain 60-80% alcohol and meet the requirements of the Saudi Food and Drug General Authority (SFDA).
• Tissues must be provided and placed in prominent places.
• All environmental surfaces that are frequently touched by entertainment places visitors must be disinfected with disinfectants that are approved by the SFDA or the MOH and follow the instructions in the Practical Guide for Cleaning and Disinfection of Public Facilities to Fight Covid-19 Infection issued by the SCDC.
• All places and surfaces should be cleaned with soap and water before disinfecting them.
• Games for children and adults in game halls or amusement parks must be disinfected frequently after every use or every 2 hours, while ensuring that the carrying capacity is reduced by half and leaving empty seats to ensure social distancing, as well as disabling games that may lead to crowding and physical contact between individuals.
• The capacity of the cable cars in the rides should be reduced by half, and it is preferable that they be from one family or friends, provided that the number does not exceed 5 people, in order to ensure no crowding.
• The cable car must be disinfected continuously, preferably after the disembarkation of each batch of passengers, if possible, taking care to open the windows to ensure good ventilation, as well as making sure there are hand sanitizers. 
• Oblige passengers to wear masks when boarding the cable cars, and it is preferable not to board children, the elderly, or those who are at higher risk of infection.
• It is preferable to equip restrooms with self-operating faucets to avoid infection transmission through touch.
• The restrooms must be cleaned and disinfected periodically on a daily basis, taking care to maintain good ventilation, reduce the temperature in them, and allocating a cleaning worker for that.
• Ensure that the toilets in the restrooms are properly working, and surfaces must be cleaned and disinfected after each use.
• Prevent crowding in restrooms and toilets by placing floor stickers or disrupting the use of a number of toilets or sinks to ensure a safe distance of 1.5 to 2 meters between each person.
• A record of the disinfection times for surfaces and toilets should be maintained.
• Ensure good ventilation and reduce the temperature in places of entertainment.
• It is preferable to have trash and waste bins distributed widely throughout the entertainment places that work with no touching required, and waste must be disposed of continuously.
• Health requirements and guidelines for the prevention of Covid-19 disease must be adhered to with regard to restaurants or food carts and places designated for prayer in places of entertainment (please refer to the guidelines issued by the SCDC and MOH protocols regarding restaurants or mosques).

Precautionary and preventive measures:

Guidelines and requirements related to protecting workers, visitors, customers and those in charge of entertainment places from the risks of infection with Covid-19, through the following:

• Workers should reduce personal contact with customers and visitors, wear masks when dealing with them, and adhere to social distancing at all times, as well as when selling tickets or food and drinks.
• Street vendors should be prohibited by restaurants and cafes, and the provision of food and drinks should be restricted to the place designated for that.
• Supervisors should be assigned to reduce gatherings between different families in general, and ensure social distancing, provided that there is a distance between each family and the other of not less than 1.5 to 2 meters.
• Emphasis on hand washing with soap and water frequently for at least 40 seconds each time, or sanitizer hands with an approved disinfectant for a period of not less than 20 seconds in the absence of soap and water.
• Ensure all workers and visitors wear medical or cloth masks or anything that covers the mouth and nose, and dispose of them in the proper way and in the designated place, and prevent those who do not wear masks from entering or using the entertainment facilities.
• Ensure workers wear protective personal equipment such as gloves in addition to masks when cleaning or disinfecting entertainment places and disposing of them in the proper way and in the designated place.

Epidemiological surveillance, monitoring and reporting:

Guidelines and requirements:

• Situate a checkpoint at all main entrances which includes measuring the temperature of all people entering with a device approved by the SFDA and asking about high temperature or any respiratory symptoms (cough or shortness of breath).
• Prevent visitors and customers who have a high temperature or any respiratory symptoms from entering the venue.
• Measure the temperature of all workers and those in charge of the entertainment place daily before the start of each work shift, record the temperature and contact data and keep it in a specific record.
• Do not allow any worker who has influenza-like symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat) to come to work and they must be isolated until they are examined and their symptoms are disappeared, according to the report of their treating doctor
• Report any case in the entertainment places among workers that has a high temperature or respiratory symptoms and is suspected of being infected with Covid-19, prevent them from entering the facility and identify their information and contact numbers and immediately call 937 to see the required directions to transfer the case to the hospital.
• In the event that there is housing for workers in the mosque, it is preferable to prepare an isolation room for the suspected cases in their residence so that they are isolated until contacted by the competent authorities. (Please see the health conditions for workers’ housing to fight Covid-19).
• If a confirmed case is registered among workers, the protocols approved by Weqaya Center and the MOH must be applied.
• Collaborate with the MOH in the process of monitoring cases in contact with the confirmed case so that epidemiological investigation and quarantine procedures are applied in accordance with the procedures followed by the public health team.
• Workers, visitors and those in charge of entertainment places must be educated about the symptoms of the disease, its means of transmission and its severity, and making them aware of refraining from attending in the event of any respiratory symptoms (cough or shortness of breath) or a high temperature.
• Educate workers, visitors, and those in charge of entertainment places that they must disclose if they have any respiratory symptoms (cough or shortness of breath) or high temperature by calling 937.
• Awareness posters should be distributed in all entrances to the entertainment places and placed in prominent places, and it is also preferable to publish them after the tickets purchasing by sending text messages, e-mail, or by printing them on the tickets, and that they be written in different languages ​​and include the following:

• Introduction to the disease, how it spreads and the preventative measures to be taken.
• Awareness of handwashing, avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth before washing hands, and encourage attention to personal hygiene and health care
• Adherence to Hygiene and Cough etiquette (by using tissues and throwing them away immediately or coughing into the elbow and washing hands afterwards).

• Constantly emphasize on the importance of adhering to the safety instructions, preventive measures, and physical distancing, and prevent gatherings and crowding.
• Constantly emphasize on the avoidance of touching the windows of the cable cars or sticking the face to the window when riding.
• Educate and urge elderly visitors and those with chronic diseases to postpone visiting the entertainment places.

Implementation:

• It is preferable to place a board containing a statement of the violations and how to report it.
• It is preferable to establish communication channels to report any breach of requirements and report violations in order to work to avoid them.
• Train officials at checkpoints on the method of test performing and the use of thermometers.
• Assign supervisors responsible for ensuring the implementation of the health requirements.
• Assign trained security guards to prevent overcrowding and apply social distancing especially at entrances and exits.
• Conduct mandatory health and safety trainings on Covid-19 for all employees.

 

Appendix A: Individuals who are at Higher Risk of Infection

The health controls for suspending attendance at workplaces during the Covid-19 pandemic shall be attached to the medical reports of the below Health Conditions:

• Those over the age of 65 years
• Chronic lung disease, or severe asthma:

For those who have been admitted to the hospital at least once in the past six months.

• Chronic heart diseases:

– Heart muscle failure.

– Coronary artery disease with at least having one heart attack during the past year.

• Inherited Immunodeficiency diseases
• Acquired Immunodeficiency:

1. Acquired immunodeficiency disease

2. Use of immunosuppressive drugs.

3. Use of cancer treatment drugs.

• Obesity:

BMI 40>kg/m2

• Chronic medical conditions:

4. Uncontrolled diabetes, which necessitated admission to the hospital at least once during the past six months

5. High blood pressure disease, which required admission to the hospital at least once during the past six months

6. Kidney failure (dialysis)

7. Cirrhosis.