The COVID-19 pandemic has kept us all scrambling to keep up with everything from evolving guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to new federal, state, county, and municipal laws and regulations. The landscape is fluid and ever-changing, and we should all be prepared that the situation can continue to change, often rapidly.
It will take the partnership of all of us to keep each other and the greater CHIditarod community safe and healthy. This means thinking of others, appreciating that their risk factor of exposure to the virus may be higher than others and adjusting our behavior with sensitivity and respect, regardless of the inconvenience it may cause us. We are going to extraordinary lengths to meet health and safety guidelines and it is incumbent on every CHIditarod participant to take the necessary precautions to protect each other.
The following is the CHIditarod COVID-19 plan. It is aligned with the City of Chicago’s COVID-19 protocols and vaccine guidance and includes policies and procedures to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19. CHIditarod is a private event and reserves the right to deny entry to anyone who does not meet the requirements set out in this plan.
Vaccination Requirement
In order to participate in CHIditarod XVII you must be fully vaccinated. We use the City of Chicago’s definition:
- 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
- Review the City’s Vaccine Requirement page for more details.
If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are not fully vaccinated and you cannot participate in 2022, period.
During registration you will be required to show proof of your vaccination status by showing your vaccination card (photo ok) that must match your government-issued ID. It’s possible we may require proof of vaccination using smart phone apps.
Quarantine Guidance
If you are traveling from out of state, please follow the City of Chicago’s Quarantine Guidelines or please provide proof of a negative covid test of your choosing taken within 24 hours of the event. Acceptable forms of tests include rapid antigen tests and PCR tests, and they can be administered at home or at a facility. Please bring a photo of the dated negative test with your vaccination card and ID when you check in at The Yard.
This situation is fluid and is constantly changing. You should expect guidance to be fluid as well, including but not limited to:
- Conditions requiring you to quarantine
- The number of days you need to quarantine
- Your testing options and/or requirements
Visit the City of Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order website to find out what those parameters are right now.
As a public charity we act in good faith, to the best of our ability, in service of the public good. We balance public safety with our ability to fulfill our nonprofit mission. This COVID-19 plan and the resulting requirements and policies are our best effort to strike that balance. We expect that some of you may disagree with these policies, and it’s ok to choose to take a year off of CHIditarod and revisit us again in 2023. We won’t take it personally, we promise.