Relaxation of restrictions on events after October 26, 2020

Dear Faculty, and Staff,

Starting October 26, 2020, Waseda University will ease some restrictions on events organized by the University or the University’s faculty/staff as well as events that take place at Waseda but are organized by external organizations. The restrictions are being relaxed given the changes made in alert levels set per category of the Guidelines for the Restriction of Activities.

Further, please make sure to meet the following requirements for organizing an event and take the necessary precautions for protecting yourself and those around you. Please see below for details. Thank you for your understanding and continued cooperation.

Events which must remain canceled or postponed

• Social gatherings that involve eating/drinking
• Events where many elderly people, who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, may attend

Requirements and precautions for organizing an event

• Distance participants (2 meters apart as much as possible) and avoid the 3Cs (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings).
• Check the health conditions of participants. Do not let anyone who show symptoms of COVID-19, such as a fever, coughing, or loss of smell and taste, etc., participate in the event.
• When organizing an indoor event, the capacity of the event must be set to the following:
  ・Events organized by the University or University faculty/staff: Less than a quarter (one-fourth) of the maximum capacity of the event venue (This is to avoid serious risks in university operations, such as classes or research activities, in case many university personnel attend the event and an infection occurs)
  ・Events at Waseda organized by external organizations: Less than half the maximum capacity of the event venue
• Zemi-gasshuku (i.e. training camps), etc.
  The concerned offices and the Academic Affairs Division are to check and determine if the activities are necessary based on the document “Information to note when holding outside classroom activities in Fall 2020 semester” (see reference section).
• Eating/Drinking at in-person conferences, meetings with visitors, and other events
  Avoid eating during the conference/meeting/event. If a meal is to be provided, avoid conversations while eating and finish your meal as quickly as possible. You may drink during the conference/meeting/event. Make sure to be thorough with protective measures (such as disinfection) when cleaning up afterwards.
• If the event can be organized online, please continue to organize virtual events as much as possible.
  Depending on the changes in the state of society and the government’s response policy, as well as the situation of the COVID-19 infection, changes in the operations at the University may be made as appropriate.