COVID-19 Policy Update
Colorado Anime Fest is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our attendees, staff, guests, and everyone else at the convention. As part of this commitment, we are updating our policy on masks and vaccines.
Updated January 2, 2023
Masks Required
COAF is continuing the mask requirement in convention spaces for 2023. With the growing spread of new COVID-19 variants as well as influenza, we feel this is a reasonable precaution we plan to ask of attendees and our staff. We reserve the right to review this if conditions change closer to the event.
Mask Policy:
Everyone two years or older must wear a mask while attending COAF. Nobody is exempt from this rule, but there are specific situations where it’s acceptable to temporarily remove one’s mask:
While presenting during an event. Panelists, performers, and other presenters may remove their masks while they’re actively presenting or performing. They must remain at least six feet away from the nearest attendee while unmasked.
While eating and drinking. This should be done in designated areas, such as the hotel’s restaurant, and when snacks are served during Cosplay Café sessions.
While taking photos in cosplay. This can be done briefly while standing still, away from crowds, and posing for a photo.
If we see you without a mask in convention spaces, our team will politely ask you to put on a mask. If you don’t have a mask, we’ll be happy to provide one! Repeated violations of the mask rule may result in expulsion from the convention without a refund.
Minimum Mask Standards
Masks must cover your nose and mouth at all times, be well-fitted to your face, have no holes or other damage that would reduce their efficacy, and must meet a minimum standard of quality. Our recommended mask options include, in descending order of protection:
N95, KN95, or KF94 masks/respirators without an exhale valve
Surgical-grade disposable masks—alone or under a cloth mask
Cloth masks with at least two layers of fabric
Please see the CDC’s tips for additional information about what makes an effective mask and how to improve your level of protection using common mask types.
Prohibited Mask Types
Certain types of masks do little or nothing to stop the spread of COVID-19. As such, we consider these masks to be below the minimum quality threshold for use at COAF. These include, but are not limited to:
Neck gaiters (or similar)
Bandanas
Open mesh masks
Face shields (on their own)
Single-ply fabric masks (except when worn over surgical-grade masks)
Any mask with an exhale valve (even an N95 mask)
COAF reserves the right to make determinations about the quality of any mask, regardless of whether it falls under one of the categories listed above.
Vaccination Recommended
There are multiple vaccines and boosters currently authorized by the World Health Organization. Due to the ongoing risk of community spread we strongly recommend that all attendees five years and older be as vaccinated as possible, which for most people includes a booster dose.
For 2023, Colorado Anime Fest will not require proof of vaccination to be presented at the convention to collect your badges and tickets. We don’t make this decision lightly, and we still believe that the vaccine continues to save lives and protect the community from further spread of COVID 19.
Why are we changing this part of the policy? The federal government and the State of Colorado have moved toward treating COVID as endemic rather than as an ongoing pandemic, and we’re shifting to match that. We also don’t have the expertise at this point to efficiently verify vaccination cards given all the variations of info that are out there. And finally, we don’t want to create lines longer than necessary. Con lines aren’t events, and you shouldn’t spend too much time in lines if we can help prevent it!
We’re thankful for how many of you got vaccinated and we’ll always be so proud that you got vaccinated, came out and we all had a great, safe time in 2022. We’re looking forward to seeing you again in 2023!
Are you ill?
Your health and the health of every member of the Rocky Squad is the most important thing to us! We don’t want the fear of missing out to cause you to bring con crud to the show and share it around. If you become ill with COVID or influenza or have similar symptoms, we want you to stay home and recover without worrying about losing out. If you bought a badge and become sick just prior to the con, we’ll roll your badge forward to 2024 with no questions asked. Please e-mail registration@coanimefest.com before you check in and receive your badge, and we’ll get you squared away.
Questions?
We’re happy to answer questions about our COVID-19 policy. Reach out to us on any of our social media outlets or e-mail covid-19@coanimefest.com.