Can you guys just confirm your Covid policies right now?

[BortBorterson 0]

A trend lately of big conventions changing their Covid vaccine/mask policies a month before the event is very worrying. I am hoping Otakon will not change their policies and I am hoping someone on staff can just come out and say it? Say your current guidelines will not be relaxed?  Regardless of where you fall on the "debate" people need to be able to make informed decisions with confidence.  Thank you!! 

[Aresef 113]

I’m not staff but I believe I saw a reply to something on social after the ACen mess saying that Otakon wasn’t relaxing its rules.

[GasparAKAShiggitay 194]

As stated on the Otakon website:

With that said @BortBorterson I'm not a staff member either, but I totally get your concern... I didn't go to ACen this year partially due to their flip floppy policies regarding COVID safety... and partially due to money... I've been unemployed basically since the pandemic started... Otakon won't be relaxing the rules until I'd assume next year at earliest as the pandemic goes more and more into its endemic stage... (Don't quote me though as that is pure speculation on my part, and as we all know this pandemic is an unpredictable beast, even if it's improved out there if even by a little)... I can't wait to not have to wear a mask at every con that runs that I attend (I'm 100% vaccinated and boosted) but if it means I can attend the con semi-normally I'll do it!

Edited June 30, 2022 by GasparAKAShiggitay
stuff

[Kewshi 26]

Every policy we have if we change it gets changed on the website pretty sure it's not going to change anymore before con. We take all the precautions for the memberships safety. We want everyone to be safe and have fun.

Edited June 30, 2022 by Kewshi

[Revan 45]

I expect the mask policy* to be better enforced than at Too Many Games last weekend. It said on the website that masks were mandatory, but there were a good 30% of the attendees sans masks.

* As long as you have the same people who did it last year, I have no doubts that Otakon will do a better job than TMG. I have 2 incidents from 2021: 1 I witnessed, 1 anecdotal. A) One staffer stopped a panel when the panelist went down into the audience after he left his mask on the stage. She gave him the option of putting a mask on or going back onto the stage. He did the rest of the panel while wearing a mask. B) I was told that a guest last year was escorted back to their room to get a mask.

I would like to know about the proof of vaccination process for those of us who are getting badges mailed.

[EdKitten 72]

On 6/30/2022 at 6:11 PM, Revan said:

... I would like to know about the proof of vaccination process for those of us who are getting badges mailed.

I'm not staff, but at the WEWCC near the beginning of June 2022 for Awesome Con, vaccination cards weren't even mentioned.  We just had our bags looked into by security officers.  Can't guarantee that for Otakon, but just wanted to let you know.

 

[Kewshi 26]

You will have to have your vaccination status checked and you will be given a wrist band you are required both to gain entrance to the con

[EdKitten 72]

2 hours ago, Kewshi said:

You will have to have your vaccination status checked and you will be given a wrist band you are required both to gain entrance to the con

OMG, thanks for the info!  I hadn't even read Otakon's policy about vaccination status -- good to know this stuff WAY beforehand!  Guess I'd gotten relaxed about covid policies for a while, because in the area where I'm puttering around, most everyplace doesn't require a mask anymore.  Though I wear a mask anyway. 🙂

[Clutch 87]

Here is the web page for the policy: https://www.otakon.com/info/covid/

[Aly-san 5]

11 hours ago, Kewshi said:

You will have to have your vaccination status checked and you will be given a wrist band you are required both to gain entrance to the con

So how is that going to work? Do we have to stand in the pre-reg line Friday morning to get the wristband (even if we've gotten our badges mailed)? Is that the only place you'll be able to get the wristband, and if so, will there be a dedicated wristband line or will it be combined with the pre-reg line?

I'm nervous it's going to be kind of chaotic with every attendee trying to do that Friday morning

[DeskLaser 13]

21 minutes ago, Alyson-chan said:

So how is that going to work? Do we have to stand in the pre-reg line Friday morning to get the wristband (even if we've gotten our badges mailed)? Is that the only place you'll be able to get the wristband, and if so, will there be a dedicated wristband line or will it be combined with the pre-reg line?

I'm nervous it's going to be kind of chaotic with every attendee trying to do that Friday morning

Yes, you will need to go through a line to get your vaccine verified. This is why mailing badges now is mostly pointless. There is still an initial line you need to go through either way so why bother.

[GasparAKAShiggitay 194]

8 hours ago, DeskLaser said:

Yes, you will need to go through a line to get your vaccine verified. This is why mailing badges now is mostly pointless. There is still an initial line you need to go through either way so why bother.

I'm having mine mailed out of habit and tradition, but I get your point there....

[Aly-san 5]

15 hours ago, GasparAKAShiggitay said:

I'm having mine mailed out of habit and tradition, but I get your point there....

I think if I'd known this when I pre-registered, I might have just skipped on the mailing. Might as well just get my badge and wristband at the same time and save a couple bucks. But they only just decided on this when the mailing deadline has long since passed, which doesn't quite sit right with me.

I'm not sure why they didn't have this policy planned out in advance. If they'd planned it before pre-reg opened, they could have just had people submit their vax info with everything else.

But either way, I'd like a more detailed answer from staff for where/when we'll be able to get the wristbands. I'm not seeing anything that's much more specific than just "available at pre-reg and you need both to get into the con".

[Revan 45]

I'm hoping they do a wristband pickup on Thursday. I could swear that I picked up an 18+ band on a Thursday down in DC previously (obviously not 2021). I've been getting badges mailed since Baltimore*, so I know it wasn't just picking one of those up.

Then again, if I could get both wristbands on Thursday, that'd be even better.

 

* Less habit and tradition than convenience of not having to wait in the pre-reg line. Though if I have to wait in line for all this on Friday, then I threw my money away.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Revan

[DeskLaser 13]

17 hours ago, Alyson-chan said:

I think if I'd known this when I pre-registered, I might have just skipped on the mailing. Might as well just get my badge and wristband at the same time and save a couple bucks. But they only just decided on this when the mailing deadline has long since passed, which doesn't quite sit right with me.

I'm not sure why they didn't have this policy planned out in advance. If they'd planned it before pre-reg opened, they could have just had people submit their vax info with everything else.

But either way, I'd like a more detailed answer from staff for where/when we'll be able to get the wristbands. I'm not seeing anything that's much more specific than just "available at pre-reg and you need both to get into the con".

I could be wrong but I thought they had posted that vaccines were required before the mailing cut off date. Either way, there are too many bad actors out there to just verify the vaccine status online. Sure it makes it tougher on everyone but unfortunately that is just how our society is.

[Aly-san 5]

3 hours ago, DeskLaser said:

I could be wrong but I thought they had posted that vaccines were required before the mailing cut off date. Either way, there are too many bad actors out there to just verify the vaccine status online. Sure it makes it tougher on everyone but unfortunately that is just how our society is.

I believe their policy at the time was basically 'have your vax proof on you at the con', but they hadn't announced the wristband policy yet, so the expectation (at least for me) was basically that you'd show your vax card/etc along with your badge and move along. I was specifically referring to the wristband portion when I said I didn't get why it wasn't planned ahead of time, not just the vax requirement.

[Daniel Perales 108]

Have anyone read this article at ANN?

 

The Irresponsible Management of This Year's Artist Alley - Anime Expo 2022 - Anime News Network

 

Hopefully, Otakon will not be that bad.

[Clutch 87]

19 hours ago, Daniel Perales said:

Have anyone read this article at ANN?

 

The Irresponsible Management of This Year's Artist Alley - Anime Expo 2022 - Anime News Network

 

Hopefully, Otakon will not be that bad.

If the venue is skimping on the air conditioning, they are just asking for problems. My office cuts off the AC at night and it it always hot when you arrive in the office. My guess is that it would cost less to maintain the temperature than having to kick into high gear to cool the room again. One of the reasons I am avoiding the office in the Summer.

[Daniel Perales 108]

On 7/8/2022 at 6:12 PM, Clutch said:

If the venue is skimping on the air conditioning, they are just asking for problems. My office cuts off the AC at night and it it always hot when you arrive in the office. My guess is that it would cost less to maintain the temperature than having to kick into high gear to cool the room again. One of the reasons I am avoiding the office in the Summer.

 

Time will tell if Anime Expo turns out to be a super-spreader.

 

I mentioned before, when I went to New York Comic Con and Anime-NYC last year (they were both at the Javis one month apart), people at work was so sure that I will catch Covid, but I didn't. I'm already vaccinated and made sure that I kept my mask on most of the time (like most attendees that I've seen).

This year, I've already have my booster shot, and I carry my vaccination card everywhere. I'm not going to let a piece of cloth over my mouth spoil my Otakon fun.