Earth Celebration 2021 COVID-19 Countermeasure Protocols (Updated July 5, 2021)

We want to make sure that people who attend EC 2021, the locals here on Sado Island, and everyone involved in the festival, are safe and feel at ease at this year’s event. So the EC Committee has created and will follow strict COVID-19 countermeasure protocols.

If you plan to attend EC in person this year, please read the guidelines below before you purchase your ticket(s). It is important that everyone who will attend understands these guidelines properly beforehand.

Please note that changes in regional infection rates may cause us to review certain parts of these guidelines. We will make sure that any updates are clearly marked.

※These protocols are fundamental countermeasures that are based on the government’s Apr. 27, 2021 “Points to Consider Regarding Special Event Restrictions in Areas Other than Specified Prefectures and Priority Measure Zones” and COVID-19 prevention guidelines used by a range of industries.

・Harbour Concerts will be held outside with a reduced-capacity audience.
・At the performance, the organizers will ensure that physical distance between people is maintained (minimum of 1m) by seating the audience in spaced seating.
・The organizers will ensure that physical distance between the stage and the front row is maintained (minimum of 2m).
・The organizers will ensure that physical distance is maintained between audience members as they queue to enter the venue or at booths inside the venue.

◉ Before Traveling to Sado Island / Attending EC
・If you have any of the following symptoms or circumstances in the two weeks before EC, please refrain from traveling to Sado Island or attending EC in person.
A fever of 37.5 degrees or above.
Cold symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, etc.
Feeling sluggish (sense of fatigue), difficulty breathing.
An abnormal sense of smell or taste.
Feeling your body is heavy, or that you tire easily.
Been in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
Live with, or been close to, a person suspected of having COVID-19.
Have visited a country or region within the past 14 days from which the government has restricted entry, or from which the government has deemed it necessary to monitor your health upon reentry to Japan, or been in close contact with someone who has traveled to or lives in the aforementioned places.

In the lead up to EC, we recommend using a tracing app such as COVID-19 Contact Confirming Application (COCOA) or Niigata COVID-19 Notification System.

◉ During EC
We kindly ask for your cooperation with the following procedures, rules, and requests at EC to help prevent droplet and contact infection.
1. Staff will check the temperature of every person at EC events before they enter the venue, and at the ticket counter before selling tickets.
2. Everyone must wear a mask at all EC events. (The organizers may make exceptions in certain circumstances, e.g.: for heat stroke prevention, for small children, etc.)
3. Please wash and disinfect your hands regularly.
4. Please share your name and contact details with staff on arrival at the venue. (※)
5. Please refrain from speaking loudly or using a loud voice.
6. Please refrain from eating and drinking at the concert venue. Bringing alcoholic beverages into the venue is prohibited. (However, water and soft drinks for hydration purposes will be permitted to help prevent heat stroke.)
7. You are welcome to clap your hands to cheer on the performers, but please don’t use your voice.

(※) If anyone at EC is found to have COVID-19, we will share your contact details as required with local health care centers and public agencies. If a public agency directs us to contact EC ticket holders in regards to COVID-19, we will do so promptly. Your personal information will be handled in strict accordance with the Kodo Group Privacy Policy.

◉After EC
If you become infected with COVID-19 within two weeks after attending EC, please inform the EC Committee promptly.
Earth Celebration Committee Tel. 0259-81-4100 (Mon-Fri 9:30–17:00) Email: ec-info@kodo.or.jp

Please note that the organizers may refuse entry to anyone who does not follow the guidelines listed above, or who is suspected of having COVID-19. We appreciate your understanding.

Avoiding the 3 Cs (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings).
Prevention measures against droplet and contact infection.
Strict disinfection practices.
Strict health management and checks.
Commitment to sharing information with the public.
Prepared response plan in case of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases.

1) In the Lead Up to Concerts
Performers and all staff involved in EC events will undergo regular temperature and health checks. Any performers or staff members who do not comply with the checks will be excluded from working at EC. If anyone is found to have a fever or to be unwell, they will be removed from the team.
If any performers or staff members have COVID-19 symptoms two weeks or less before EC, the organizers will promptly contact health authorities to report the situation and seek advice, which may result in cast or staff changes.

2) On the Day of the Concerts
・If a performer or staff member develops a fever or becomes unwell, they will be stood down from their scheduled appearance or duty at EC.
・Staff will wear a face mask or face shield at all times.
・Staff will avoid crowding together while carrying out their duties, especially in indoor spaces such as rehearsal and meeting rooms. All spaces used by staff will be equipped with sanitation supplies.
・If any performers or staff are found to have COVID-19, and a cluster outbreak becomes a concern due their number of close contacts, the organizers will reconsider whether the remaining concerts can be held or not.

If any EC event staff, performers, audiences members, or press members are found with symptoms COVID-19 symptoms, the person in charge of that particular event area will:
*take all necessary steps to secure the area.
*have the suspected case escorted to their home (if nearby) or a designated quarantine space.
*seek advice from local health authorities.
*request a medical examination for the suspected case.

These guidelines were created to ensure the safety and comfort of everyone involved with Earth Celebration this year. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

If the COVID-19 situation becomes more severe, the organizers may need to change the way that EC is held this year, in line with any changes to policies in Niigata Prefecture or nationwide. For example, the organizers may decide to move the event entirely online and hold the concerts without an in-person audience. Or the organizers may decide to introduce additional COVID-19 countermeasures to those outlined above.

The organizers will make all necessary decisions regarding holding, not holding, or changing this year’s event in line with national, prefectural, and Sado City policies.

The EC Committee’s July 5 decision to hold EC Harbour Concerts with an audience in attendance is based on the notification dated June 17, 2021, from the Cabinet Secretariat Office for Novel Coronavirus Disease Control that was sent to the prefectural governors throughout Japan. According to this information, it is possible to hold outdoor events with an audience in attendance in prefectures such as Niigata Prefecture, which are neither a State of Emergency area nor a Semi-State of Emergency area, if people are not crowded together or a distance of 1m is maintained between people.

In line with this information, EC Committee has decided it would like to hold concerts this year with strict COVID-19 countermeasures in place and an audience in attendance. We kindly ask for your understanding about this decision, and any necessary changes to this decision in the lead up to the event.