Covid Safety in 2024
As a disability-led and run company, Opera Mariposa recognizes that addressing the risks of COVID-19 and other airborne illnesses is a critical part of creating accessible spaces. As we head into 2024, Covid continues to evolve – but luckily, so do the tools to help keep everyone safer!
Below are some of our favourite resources to help artists, organizers and audiences engage in community care and create more inclusive events. We are grateful to the many experts and advocates who’ve assisted with our own safety materials, with special thanks to the public health specialists at Protect Our Province BC.
CAC Artist Connect
Clean Air Club Artist Connect is a networking hub for Covid-safer, immuno-inclusive artists. Artists can share the health and safety measures they regularly take, as well as the precautions they’re willing to take in order to work with collaborators.
Initiative by: Clean Air Club (CAC)
Canadian COVID-19 Hazard Index
The Canadian COVID-19 Hazard index is a biweekly report on COVID levels and impacts in each province and territory. It is one of several great initiatives from COVID-19 Resources Canada, which also offers bilingual Q&As on Zoom and much more.
Initiative by: COVID-19 Resources Canada and award-winning infectious diseases researcher Dr. Tara Moriarty
Clean Air Club (and related groups)
Clean Air Club (CAC) is a group that provides free air purifiers to Chicago artists and touring musicians. They also provide a wide array of downloadable, printable resources about everything from air pollution to rapid tests to formulating a plan if you test Covid-positive.
Seeking clean air equipment outside the Chicago area? Check out this global map.
Initiative by: Clean Air Club
Clean Air Crew
Clean Air Crew provides a collection of tips and tools for an airborne pandemic, including fact sheets, F.A.Q.s, instructions for DIY air purifiers and much more.
Initiative by: Clean Air Crew
Clean Air 604
Clean Air 604 is an organization aimed at providing events with free masks, air purifiers, and more in order to facilitate safer arts spaces in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
Seeking clean air resources outside the Lower Mainland? Check out this global map.
Initiative by: Clean Air 604
COVID-Safe Conference Guidelines
COVID-Safe Conference Guidelines is a resource providing six simple guidelines for conference organizers to better protect attendees’ health.
Initiative by: Prof Deborah Lupton, Master of Public Health, PhD
Covid Safer Events Toronto
Covid Safer Events Toronto is dedicated to uplifting masked and hybrid events in Toronto. Community care is disability justice.
Initiative by: Covid Safer Events Toronto
Donate a Mask
Donate A Mask is a volunteer-run charity that ships free N95-equivalent respirator masks to anyone in Canada who requests them, with the aim of aiding vulnerable people and those experiencing financial barriers. People can support the project through donations, or by shopping their charity store.
Initiative by: Evidence-Based Social Enterprises Canada
Essential Opera Health & Safety Plan
Essential Opera’s Health & Safety Plan is a template to support COVID-safer spaces for artists and communities. It is available for free or pay-what-you-can.
Initiative by: Essential Opera
Human Rights Resources for COVID-19
These human rights resources for COVID-19 come directly from BC’s independent Human Rights Commissioner. They include letters, media releases and policy statements to guide decision-making from a human rights-centred perspective.
Initiative by: BC Office of the Human Rights Commissioner
It’s Airborne
It’s Airborne is a blog by Joey Fox, a professional engineer with more than 10 years in the HVAC industry who educates people about ventilation, filtration, and general air cleaning to protect themselves from COVID. The blog includes many great introductory explainers about indoor air quality.
Initiative by: Joey Fox, P.Eng.
Locked Out (of the Arts)
Locked Out (of the Arts) documents how the performing arts has shut out disabled, immunocompromised, chronically ill and otherwise Covid-cautious folks due to failure to implement Covid precautions – and showcases the work of some fantastic marginalized artists.
Initiative by: Occasionally Original & Lani Boschulte
Long COVID Justice
Long COVID Justice leads grassroots, collective efforts to confront the Long COVID crisis, while centering racial, social, economic and disability justice. Their wide array of resources includes webinars, guides, toolkits and more.
Initiative by: Strategies for High Impact
Masks 4 East Van
Masks 4 East Van is a mutual aid project distributing N95-equivalent masks and more to people in East Vancouver and remote areas in BC with inadequate access to health care.
If you’re seeking free masks elsewhere, search for a “Mask Bloc” mutual aid group in your area.
Initiative by: Masks4EastVan
OSPE Air Quality Calculator
The OSPE Air Quality Calculator is a free tool to quickly calculate indoor air quality, using things like venue size or number of attendees. It is offered by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, which has an Indoor Air Quality advisory group of subject matter experts.
Initiative by: Ontario Society of Professional Engineers
People’s CDC
The People’s CDC is a coalition of public health practitioners, scientists, healthcare workers, educators, advocates and people from all walks of life working to reduce the impacts of COVID-19. They offer a wide array of helpful resources, including handouts, webinars, and weekly COVID weather reports for the US.
Initiative by: People’s CDC
Practicing Inclusion in the Time of COVID
Practicing Inclusion in the Time of COVID is a guide for creating more accessible gatherings, available in English and Spanish. It also links to other resources.
Initiative by: Strategies for High Impact
Protect Our Province BC
Protect Our Province BC is an independent group of physicians, nurses, health scientists, health policy specialists and community advocates. They provide many resources including live briefings on COVID-19 – and can offer free safety plan feedback as well!
If you’re located outside of British Columbia, be sure to check for a “Protect Our Province” group in your province.
Initiative by: Protect Our Province BC
Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) F.A.Q.
This Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) resource includes a how-to video featuring an updated swab technique for better test accuracy, as well as an F.A.Q. compiled by public health experts.
Initiative by: Protect Our Province BC
See You Safer
See You Safer is an easy resource providing strategies for safer in-person gatherings. It includes slides, a downloadable PDF, and an event checklist.
Initiative by: People’s CDC
Still COVIDing Canada
Still COVIDing Canada is bilingual site providing information, resources, and the latest news articles and research about COVID-19. It offers a monthly news roundup by newsletter to stay in the know – and as a bonus, the site’s news clippings can be shared directly to Facebook and Instagram!
Initiative by: Still COVIDing community in Ottawa-Gatineau
World Health Network
The World Health Network (WHN) is a global community and independent task force devoted to protecting health and minimizing harm in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their resources include guidelines, infographics, data reporting and more.
Initiative by: World Health Network
Last updated May 30, 2024
Know a resource we should add? Drop us a line.