On December 4, 2020 the Knox County Board of Health adopted Regulation No. 2020-8 ratified the Social Gathering Limitation that was adopted on July 1, 2020 to remain in effect until 12:01 am EST on January 1, 2021. The regulation may be viewed by following this link. At the January 27, 2021 meeting of the board, the regulation was extended until February 18, 2021.
The following is the content of the Phase 2 Guidance regulations:
As of July 1, the City of Knoxville is following Phase 2 Guidance for events per the Knox County Health Department Strategy for Phased Reopening. All special events taking place on public property in the City of Knoxville must follow these guidelines for permitted events. If the Special Events team feels that a requirement is not being addressed to the standards of safety that is expected, then the application will not be approved until the event organizer has submitted a plan that meets the standards. DUE TO THE CONTINUOUS CHANGES WITH COVID-19 THE CITY OF KNOXVILLE MAY CANCEL YOUR EVENT AT ANY TIME FOR SAFETY REASONS.
- Employees, volunteers and patrons must wear face masks when unable to consistently maintain at least 6 ft of physical distancing. Masks should be made available at the event
- Events will not be permitted on Market Square until further notice
- Gatherings have a limit of a maximum of 50 people for the entire duration of the event (including staff, volunteers and patrons), unless theater or restaurant type seating is utilized
- Regularly clean/sanitize surfaces · Events will need separate entrances and exits providing one way in and one way out · Handwashing/sanitizing stations are required at organizer’s expense
- Cleaning protocol is required for public restrooms
- Isolation space is required to be available in the event that someone becomes ill
- It is recommended to screen staff and volunteers for COVID-19 symptoms before each shift · Food and condiments must be pre-packaged and served to the patron. Self-service is not allowed. No sampling of food is allowed, no refills are allowed
- Single use plates and utensils are required, preferably wrapped
- Vendors need to be spaced out with at least 6 feet between booths. Staff inside booths should be limited according to tent size. (Ex. A 10×10 tent can accommodate up to 2 staff)
- Distancing floor markers should be used at vendor booths/food trucks or anywhere a line may form to encourage physical distancing of at least 6ft
- Physical distancing for performers must be at least 12ft from audience
- Shared objects/equipment must be properly sanitized between users
- No dancing by patrons
- When practical add plexiglass protective barriers to stations
- Signage must be posted on site for the 5 Core Actions
- Consider using a digital system if tickets are sold to reduce contact between guests and staff
- Cashless systems are preferred for purchases from vendor
- Seating areas must have tables staged 6 feet apart with a maximum of 10 people per table
- Seating between groups must be at least 6 feet in all directions
- No play structures allowed (Ex. Bounce houses, rock walls, etc)
- Obtain contact information for all staff, volunteers and participants
Additional Guidelines for Running Events
- Waves of 10 people maximum are allowed at a minimum of 5 minutes apart
- Maximum number of people to be registered for event is 250
- A separate area must be available for the next wave of people to wait for their time frame
- No competitive races, must be timed races
- No celebrations or gatherings are allowed at the end
- Start and finish must be in different locations · No spectators