Vaccination Policy
The health and safety of our conference participants is our top priority. Following recent best practices in the event industry to minimize risk and maximize participant well-being, we are requiring all participants to follow our vaccination policy for this event. Please review the full scope of the policy below. Individuals who fail to comply with this policy will be denied conference entry without a refund of any registration fees.
Scope of Vaccination Policy
As a condition of attendance at the Innovations and Solutions for Ending Unsheltered Homelessness Conference (March 1-3, 2023), individuals must be up to date with all vaccinations against COVID-19 by the first date of the conference. For purposes of this policy, an individual is considered up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination if they have received all recommended doses in the primary series and one booster when eligible. Getting a second booster is not currently required. Vaccination records must be uploaded to Crowdpass, the Alliance’s platform for COVID-19 clearance, prior to the event. See further details below.
Medical & Religious Exemption Requests
All exemption requests must be made no later than January 23, 2023.
To gain entry to the conference, individuals who are requesting a medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination must submit:
- Proper documentation as detailed below, and
- Proof of negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test results. Test results must include the individual’s name and date of test from a reputable clinic or professional medical office. Rapid at-home tests are not acceptable for entry.
Please review the following for further details on these requirements, and to see if you qualify for an exemption.
Document Requirements for Exemption Approval
Approved Medical Circumstance: History of previous allergic reaction to indicate an immediate hypersensitivity reaction to a component of the vaccine; health condition or medical circumstances such that immunization is not considered safe; or any other health condition or medical circumstance where receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is contraindicated.
- Document Requirement: A letter from your medical provider explaining the medical reasoning prohibiting your receipt of the COVID-19 immunization
Approved Sincerely-Held Religious Belief: Religious belief and/or practice which is (a) sincerely held; and (b) which prohibits receiving immunizations.
- Document Requirement: A letter from your religious leader (priest, preacher, rabbi, imam, etc.) explaining the religious teachings prohibiting receipt of the COVID-19 immunization
In addition to the documentation above, individuals must provide proof of negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test results to gain entry. Date of the test must be no earlier than Monday, February 27th, 2023, or within two days (48 hours) of the start of the Event. Individuals will be responsible for the cost of such testing. The test results must include the individual’s name and date of test from a reputable clinic or professional medical office. Rapid at-home tests are not acceptable for entry.
Test results must be uploaded to Crowdpass, the Alliance’s platform for COVID-19 clearance.
Submitting Your Vaccination Records via Crowdpass
For the Innovations and Solutions for Ending Unsheltered Homelessness Conference, the Alliance is partnering with Crowdpass for COVID-19 clearance. Per the Alliance’s Vaccination Policy, all conference participants are required to be up to date with all vaccinations against COVID-19 in order to gain entry to the conference. For purposes of this policy, an individual is considered up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination if they have received all recommended doses in the primary series and one booster when eligible. Getting a second booster is not currently required. Vaccination records must be uploaded to Crowdpass prior to the event.
Within one week after registering for the conference, participants will receive an email invitation to Crowdpass. The email subject will be: “Innovations and Solutions for Ending Unsheltered Homelessness – Event Registration” and will be coming from support@crowdpass.co. If you do not receive this email within 2 weeks of registering for the conference, please reach out to conference@naeh.org.
Individuals who are fully up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination will register for Crowdpass via that invitation and upload their vaccination records accordingly. Within 48 hours, they will receive confirmation from Crowdpass that their documents have been approved. If you receive an email rejecting your submission, this means you are not fully up to date on your vaccination per the Alliance’s Vaccination Policy. If this happens, it’s best to either transfer your registration to someone who meets the Alliance’s full vaccination requirement or cancel your registration in full. As a reminder, the last day to cancel your registration with refund, or to transfer your registration to another participant is February 1, 2023.
For those requesting a medical or religious exemption from the vaccination requirement (from either the booster or vaccination in full), they should review the documentation requirements listed above and follow the instructions provided in their Crowdpass invitation email. Crowdpass will approve or deny these exemptions accordingly. If your documentation is denied, you will not be eligible to attend the conference. All exemption requests must be made no later than January 23, 2023. Note that the last day to cancel your registration with refund or transfer your registration is February 1, 2023.
Individuals approved for a medical or religious exemption will be required to upload a negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test results to gain entry to the conference. Date of the test must be no later than Monday, February 27th, 2023, or within two days (48 hours) of the start of the Event. Individuals will be responsible for the cost of such testing. The test results must include the individual’s name and date of test from a reputable clinic or professional medical office. Rapid at-home tests are not acceptable for entry. Test results must be uploaded to Crowdpass prior to arrival at the conference. Instructions on uploading these test results will be provided the week before the conference.
Pandemic Safety Protocols
Masks
At this time, masks are required for conference gatherings. Masks will be available at the conference registration desk.
It is important to note that the conference venue, the Oakland Marriott City Center, is committed to providing a safe, healthy environment for all hotel guests and conference participants. To learn more about specific safety protocols, you can visit this link: Marriott International’s Commitment to Clean.
As of June 25, 2022, Alameda County health officials announced that masks will not be required in most indoor public settings. This order applies to most cities within Alameda County, including the City of Oakland. Visitors are encouraged to check with individual establishments about COVID-19 protocols. Find the latest information from the Alameda County Government here.
Travel Restrictions
The Oakland International Airport follows guidance from the Alameda County Health Office that requires face coverings in public settings. Anyone over the age of 2 on the airport grounds must have a face covering that covers the nose and mouth thoroughly. Many face-covering options are available, including bandanas, scarves, or other fabric, or commercially manufactured breathable masks that can be purchased online or in many stores. Read more about the steps they’re taking to ensure patron safety here.
We advise that you read the government travel guidance to confirm eligibility and requirements at the time of travel: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/covid-19-travel-information.html
Vaccination
We expect all conference participants, volunteers, and speakers to follow the Alliance’s vaccination policy as stated above. The Alliance asks all conference attendees to consider the health and well-being of fellow participants by adhering to this policy, practicing good judgment, following CDC guidelines, and complying with all other rules, regulations and guidelines when traveling to the Innovations and Solutions for Ending Unsheltered Homelessness Conference.
Thank you for doing your part to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Please contact conference@naeh.org with any questions about the Conference Safety Plan.