Health and Safety
Health and Safety
Safety Precautions Due to COVID-19: As an association of coaches, we are collectively facing our toughest opponent, Covid-19. We have known about this opponent for some time and we have been creating our game plan.
The Convention is happening, and your health and safety is incredibly important. We are doing everything to ensure that you are safe while attending the Convention, January 19-23, 2022. We are following all guidelines from the CDC, City of Kansas City, Missouri, and Jackson County, Missouri. We are going beyond the guidelines to make sure we get the result we want. When you attend a function supported by United Soccer Coaches in the Kansas City Convention Center, Marriott Hotel, or the Loews Hotel you will notice the following to ensure your health and safety:
- Masks will be worn by all attendees and staff
- We encourage all attendees to be fully vaccinated and boosted
- Social distancing wherever possible (seating in lecture rooms, meal functions and demo fields)
- Hand Sanitizer will be readily available
- All buildings will be thoroughly cleaned throughout the day and night
Flying to Kansas City
For many of you, the journey to Kansas City will start with a flight. Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health released a study, which finds that the transmission risk of COVID-19 when flying is lower than other routine activities, such as grocery shopping or dining out, due to multi-layered protective measures, mask wearing, and the ventilation and HEPA filtration systems on aircraft.
The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, provides heartening information about the low risk of transmission during flight and the quality of the air in an aircraft cabin. IATA states that more than 1.2 billion people have flown by air since the COVID-19 outbreak started, with only a few cases in which transmission was potentially flight related—and many of those cases occurred in the early stages of the pandemic before enhanced cleaning procedures and mandatory face mask requirements were widely implemented by airlines.
Following Best Practices
At the event in January, United Soccer Coaches will work with the Kansas City Convention Center to follow the recommended best practices:
Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Facilities has earned Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. This means that the Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Facilities has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention.
Our hotel partners, Kansas City Marriott Downtown properties and Loews Kansas City, have made your well-being a top priority, in these unprecedented times, our Kansas City hotel partners are going to unprecedented lengths to welcome you safely. From check-in to check out, they have reimagined your stay to reduce contact and increase your comfort.
Marriott’s Cleanliness Council is redefining its cleaning and safety standards by actively monitoring and evolving its solutions to ensure a continued focus on the health and safety of all guests and associates. In public spaces, Marriott has added to its already rigorous cleaning protocols, requiring that surfaces are treated with hospital-grade disinfectants and that this cleaning is done with increased frequency. In guest rooms, Marriott has added to its detailed cleaning practices, requiring all surfaces to be thoroughly cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectants.
Loews Hotels’ website states its everyday standards include cleaning guestrooms, meeting rooms, outlets, corridors and public areas with a peroxide multi surface cleaner and disinfectant, an EPA approved product effective against emerging viral pathogens and COVID-19, including the frequent cleaning of “high touch areas” such as telephones, remote controls, door handles, light switches, elevators and table tops, among others. Loews works with Ecolab, a company that provides complete consultation, cleaning solutions, guidance and training to help ensure our operations are safe.
Again, our goal is to deliver a safe and productive learning experience and environment for every attendee. We expect the requirements and recommendations to change in the weeks leading up to the Convention so please check back as the Convention approaches for further updates.
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