COVID-19 Information

Last update – October 4, 2021

RDYO Policy: Covid & Communicable Diseases
2021-2022 Season

Vaccine Passports

RDYO is requiring all musicians born 2009 or earlier, staff, and adults who volunteer in-person, to have a vaccine passport. Proof of first vaccination must be shown by Sept 13 2021, and proof of second vaccination by October 24 2021. 

We have taken a slightly stricter position than that required by the Provincial Health Order for these reasons:

1. To ensure the safety, as best we can, of all participants, including our youngest students who currently are not able to be vaccinated.
2. To allow us to relax physical distancing requirements, and set-up seating in a way that is more conducive to listening and learning.
3. To reduce the risk of rehearsal cancellations due to an outbreak.
4. To increase the likelihood of in-person performances in the upcoming year, which provides a better all-round experience for students.
5. To maintain a stable policy throughout the year, and ensure that we can continue to operate for the benefit of all musicians in the case of future changes to PHOs.

Masks

All people entering a building for an RDYO function must wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth. Please ensure that masks fit well and do not slip down. The only exception to this is for wind and brass musicians, when sitting in their chairs and playing their instruments. 

Physical Distancing

We are relaxing physical distancing requirements in order to facilitate a more effective rehearsal set-up, but request that musicians and adults don’t congregate, and move outside as soon as rehearsal is finished. Physical distancing will be in place for those musicians unable to wear a mask.

Rehearsal Procedures

Start:

1. Everyone entering the building must sanitize hands
2. Sign-in with Nicola or Janie
3. Assist with set-up if needed

End:

1. Assist with stacking chairs if it is the last rehearsal of the day
2. Sanitize hands
3. Leave the building promptly

Musicians must bring their own music stand. Chairs will be provided and the edges will be sanitized between divisions. If a conductor needs to assist a musician with tuning their instrument, they will use single-use gloves.

Attendance

Musicians should stay at home if they display any symptoms that are new or unaccounted-for, and email Nicola and Janie. If well enough to participate, they should attend the rehearsal virtually, using the zoom link provided in MyRDYO.

If any musician becomes sick during rehearsal, they will be asked to wait in a separate area, and an adult will be called to pick them up.

Date approved: Oct 2, 2021

Guidelines for in-person rehearsals

(January 14, 2021)

What to Bring to Rehearsal

• Please remember to bring your instrument, a music stand, your music, a pencil, a mask, and hand sanitizer. 
• There will not be music stands provided, so please ensure you bring one!

General Information

• When you arrive, please stay in your vehicle until 10 minutes prior to the start of your rehearsal. Someone will check you in and direct you to your seat in the rehearsal space. 
• Please try to use the bathroom prior to leaving your home, as we have been asked to limit the washroom use as much as possible. 
• Please follow signs and guides at all times and maintain 2m (6 feet) distance between others at all times as much as possible. 
• Disinfectant wipes will be provided for musicians to wipe down their chairs before and after rehearsal. 
• String players will be expected to wear a mask at all times while in the rehearsal building. Wind players will be expected to wear a mask while getting to their chair and any other movement within the rehearsal space.
• If you are a woodwind or brass player and your instrument has a bell, please use a bell mask to cover your breath and condensation escaping from your bell. If you have questions about bell masks contact admin@rdyo.ca. A slotted mask can also be worn while playing your instrument.
• Only musicians and assigned parent volunteers will be allowed to enter the building to maintain distancing and group size requirements. 

Sickness/Zoom Livestream for In-Person Rehearsals

If your musician is unable to attend rehearsal, please let your division manager know as soon as possible. This can be an absence due to illness, being unable to pass the screening form, or another event or activity. You do not need to email Nadia or Robert as long as your division manager is aware of the absence. There is an option to join every in-person rehearsal remotely over Zoom as well!

RDYO Reopening Plan

(September 17, 2020)

We are very excited to let you know that we have secured the details for opening our Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra 50th season. We hope your return to school has been smooth, and that you are ready for Orchestra rehearsals to resume this Saturday, September 19th. While obviously things will “look” different we know that this will be a remarkable season of music making in very unique circumstances. We are thrilled to have the amazing conductors, management staff and you – our musicians and families – to make this happen.  

As you know from previous emails we will be using a hybrid- remote and in-person – model to ensure safety and allow for families to determine their level of participation and comfort. ALL details are in the registration information you will receive from Nadia Petriw – PLEASE READ THESE CAREFULLY. This HYBRID model has been developed to allow us flexibility should recommendations and guidelines change in the Lower Mainland. We know our musicians want to be together and to this end our Orchestra Manager, Nadia, has gone to great lengths to secure a fantastic location in South Arm United Church that will rent us spaces and is meeting all of the provincial health requirements. The in-person rehearsal schedule will be confirmed before September 26th as we continue to receive registrations and update our ensemble numbers. 

The graphic below shows how RDYO has made changes as required by the Provincial Health Office and British Columbia Centre for Disease Control to ensure your child’s safety while allowing for the best possible in-person rehearsal experiences. 

The explanation for each step is immediately below.

The RDYO Plan is informed by the above Provincial Health structure

All Public Health Orders are to be followed at all times

1. Environmental Measures
   • South Arm United Church has been secured as our first in-person rehearsal location. They have a series of guidelines we must follow when in their space including hand sanitizing, following markings on the floor to guide physical distancing, and regular disinfecting practices.
   • Traffic flow in the buildings with separate one-way entrances and exits
   • Room capacities are determined to encourage physical distancing at all times
   • Regular cleaning and disinfecting with appropriate products. 
   • Cleaning rules with janitorial staff in place for the rooms we use
2. Administrative (organization) measures
   • Division rehearsals will be scheduled with participants being limited to maximum 15 to 25 at a time (including the conductor and parent volunteer) We are following the occupancy guidelines in place from our venues depending on their spaces.
   • Rehearsals are scheduled to allow for cleaning and ventilation of the space between groups
   • Players will be generally grouped with the same students each week
   • Players will not arrive early for rehearsals, remain afterwards or socialize outside of the rehearsal time and space
3. Personal measures
   • Anyone with symptoms of cold/flu/COVID is to stay home
     • Online symptom/health check prior to EVERY in-person rehearsal
   • Physical distancing at ALL times of 2 meters
   • Hand hygiene as indicated in the online plan
   • Upon entry, as necessary throughout the rehearsal
     • Individual musicians set up their own chair and stand
     • NO sharing of any materials
4. Personal Protective Equipment (the least effective measure of health safety)
   • All participants in rehearsal will wear a mask
   • Conductors and administrators will have barriers