**Below are the precautions we took in 2020 - this will be the worst case scenario out side of having to cancel entirely because of pandemic restrictions. If the state of IL or the country forces us to cancel in the name of public health, we will. Otherwise, we will continue to doing everything that the CDC recommends in order to maintain the good health of our attendees and society at large. Masks, limited attendance, temperatures and hugging restrictions / mandates may be lessened. Hand sanitizer is likely here to stay and for good reason**
Here's what we can do for now. I’m going to list the mitigations and precautions that we’re taking for the tournament this year. I’ve given a lot of thought as to how to do this best. The outlier opinions of “never leave your house it’s the end of the world” and “fake news designed to take my liberties” will be married into peaceful cohesion that takes into account the health of our community and the provable scientific facts behind keeping us healthy so we can all come back next year.
Fair warning, though: While I am considerate of all opinions and respect most - the tournament is not a democracy. If you’re uncomfortable with the guidelines laid out below because you think they infringe upon your personal being… please don’t come. Don’t sign up. Nobody will miss you or your obstinance in the face of a worldwide pandemic. Don’t come to the tournament and think you’ll change my mind or that you’ll be the exception to the rules. If you think it is not safe even with the mitigations, I support and commend your decision - no offense taken.
So without further ado... Chaos Cup 2020: COVID-19 Mitigations:
*Attendance is limited to 74 (pre-registration will open on July 10th)
--Less folks = more space for everyone. We can have one game per table and keep *fairly* socially distant in a mitigated way. Maximum games in the largest room will be 17. So we’re really keeping the capacity of the rooms to 1/3 normal. (Alba has a total capacity of 275, so using that as a gathering space will still likely keep us under 25% capacity)
--We may be playing in more than the three rooms in our contract. The Rose Hotel has allowed us to dominate that wing and will give us the other sitting rooms for games. A couple of those extra rooms have huge 4’ x 10’ tables that we will be able to get two games on.
--Everyone should be able to maneuver to play endzone to endzone if desired.
*Everyone will be wearing masks.
--We’ll be providing masks - brought to you by Nurgle King and compliments of the unholy Lord Borak himself. You are welcome to wear the masks provided or one of your own.
--You need to wear the mask over your nose and mouth. No Lone Rangers - No wearing it as a speedo.
--Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms. Cloth face coverings are not surgical masks or respirators. They are not personal protective equipment.
--Practice sneezing into your shirt with a mask on away from things and people. It is top notch form and will earn you accolades from the tournament organizer.
*Everyone be using hand sanitizer.
--No sharing dice (or sharting dice as my first typo suggested)
Ask your opponent about touching their miniatures and honor what they are comfortable with in terms of placing models prone.
--Use hand sanitizer provided to you or bring your own.
If you sneeze, blow your nose, or touch your face… use hand sanitizer afterwards if you aren’t able to wash your hands properly while singing “Life is Struggle” by Sigmund Llamar.
--Absolutely no sharting dice.
*We’ll be taking temperatures each day upon check in.
--If you’re sick before arriving at the tournament and cannot make it - or if you cannot travel because of restrictions in your locality - I will provide a refund of your tournament fees. Please give me as much notice as possible so I can try to get the place filled, but I will be giving folks as much leeway as possible.
--If you are running a temperature one of the days, you won’t be allowed in. I will be encouraging everyone to bring a way to play online - and I will be setting up a way for the opponents with normal temperatures to play online against you while you are in your hotel room. Hopefully this doesn’t happen, but with the advent of NAF tournaments on FUMBBL, and my own knowledge of how to set up games with custom rulesets, I feel like this is the best way to mitigate a situation where someone might play games the first day, but not be able to the next. I’m trying to consider and plan for every scenario.
*No patty-fingers.
--We like to hug - but try not to hug. Same with shaking hands and fist bumps.
--Lord Borak hath decreed that it is entirely acceptable for attendees to form the patented Lord Borak “Thumb’s Up” fist, pat their chest twice and then finger gun pew-pew at your fellow coach as a greeting, farewell, or just plain acknowledgment of the greatness of Lord Borak.
***This tournament is predicated on whether the State of Illinois is in Phase 4 of the COVID-19 plan for reopening. Currently, IL is slated to be in Phase 4 at the end of June, so the outlook is good! I have stated before that we are blessed to have one of the more proactive and conservative (with regards to health and well being of the constituency) Governors in the U.S. We will follow suit. If the state of IL has a setback and we are forced to cancel the event, we will. However, it is my hope that the measures we have been taking - and continue to make - help us keep this event on the books for this year and years to come.***