This document is being prepared as a guide for safety and health measures for the FOSSASIA Summit in Singapore 2020.

After careful consideration for the FOSSASIA Summit 2020 we’ve decided to go ahead with this year’s Summit as a mixture of offline and online sessions. The decision to run the event was taken in regards to the situation in Singapore. If you are running an event elsewhere conditions might be entirely different and you should evaluate the circumstances carefully.

The FOSSASIA Summit itself is conducted with the support of the Lifelong Learning Institute which is run under the Ministry of Education and Manpower and in accordance with Singapore Government guidance relating to COVID-19. The abort criteria for the FOSSSASIA event in Singapore is that we would cancel the summit if the Ministry of Health declares DORSCON Red.

The FOSSASIA team is committed to making this as safe as we reasonably can, and we’d love to see you, but there are a few things that we’d suggest that you think about before deciding whether to come. Please read more below.

• Unlike an event held by an employer, your decision to attend the FOSSASIA 2020 Summit is a personal choice, and should be taken on the basis of a careful consideration of risks and protections. Please read all of this information carefully first.
• There are a number of protective measures described below that you and all other attendees will be expected to take. Please study them carefully. If you’re unwilling or unable to commit to them then we would discourage you from attending.
• We would also discourage you from attending this year if you’re over 60 years of age or if you have a chronic medical condition, particularly cancer, heart or lung disease, diabetes, or obesity. Any of these would complicate treatment if it was required.
• Although we are taking multiple measures to reduce risk, attending any gathering of people at present carries some residual risk of contracting Covid-19. It’s difficult to quantify that risk, but we’d point out that — outside of religious services — only a single event in Singapore with 200 people at it has given rise to a cluster of disease cases. We would suggest that for most people this would be a relatively low risk to be taking.

• Ideally bring a thermometer with you. If you’re able to do this:
  • Familiarise yourself with how to use it before you travel to Singapore.
  • If it uses batteries, install fresh ones.
• Transfer through hand contact is believed to be the most important vector for Covid-19, so hand-washing turns out to be a very important protection! Take the time to learn how to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and start doing so several times a day if you aren’t already. TODO link

• Find the closest PHPC to your accommodation at FluGoWhere.
• If you wake up feeling unwell, or have a sore throat, or a cough, phone the PHPC nearest to where you are staying for advice. Please don’t come to the venue before doing this. TODO add links for hotels we know visitors are using.
• If you brought a thermometer then please at least check your temperature before you come to the venue (the Ministry of Health recommends checking twice a day). If you have a fever then phone the PHPC nearest to where you are staying for advice. Please don’t come to the venue with a fever.
• If you start to feel unwell during the conference, please find a quiet corner, phone the PHPC nearest to where you are staying (not the one nearest to the venue), and act on their advice.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water a few times a day. (Hopefully you are already doing this before you come to Singapore…)
• Avoid touching your face! Even with frequent hand-washing, you may still pick up an infected droplet off a surface. If you then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you are likely to contract Covid-19.
• Avoid handshakes or other physical contact with other attendees.
  • Bowing, with or without hands pressed together is an obvious option.
  • Trekkies finally have an excuse to use the Vulcan salute 🖖 in public!
  • Use your imagination…
  • We discourage alternative forms of greeting that merely reduce contact (fist bumps, knuckle bumps, elbow taps, foot taps, …).

In order to avoid any potential spread venues should continuosly clean and sanitise areas.

• Information of Lifelong Learning Institute https://www.lli.sg/content/lli/home/precautionary-measures-for-COVID-19.html
• Ministry of Health’s website for latest updates on COVID-19: https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19
• FOSSASIA Summit 2020 Takes Places as Online and Offline Event https://blog.fossasia.org/fossasia-summit-2020-takes-places-as-online-and-offline-event/