For a moment, we could've sworn we were back. Then came Omicron, and with new provincial COVID restrictions — and ensuing concert and tour cancellations — live music safety measures have gotten a bit muddied in the process.
The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) — one of the leading advocates for live music in Canada — is looking to bring some much-needed clarity to the myriad restrictions and regulations impacting live events across the country by launching a National Concert and COVID-19 Regulations Guide.
While the free resource was initially introduced last November, it recently underwent a major overhaul to incorporate all of the changes in regulation that have recently come into effect in light of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. According to the page's introduction, CLMA intends for the National Concert and COVID-19 Regulations Guide to be an overview of answers to frequently asked questions from artists, industry personnel and fans amid the ever-changing pandemic-era live music climate.
Organized by every province and territory, each section of the guide is led by the current status of each region (e.g., State of Emergency — or, in Ontario's case, "Modified Level 2"). There's also a link to the COVID-19 protocol website for every region.
The resource goes on to list the most up-to-date information regarding personal protective equipment (e.g., masks), vaccination requirements, testing in lieu of vaccination and exemptions, venue capacity restrictions, whether standing or dancing are allowed, whether children are permitted at events and whether travelling for events is allowed, as well as any necessary quarantine requirements when travelling outside the province.
"If you're on a Canadian tour, you're going into so many different jurisdictions and regions — and given the way COVID has unfolded, it's just been absolutely chaotic," association president Erin Benjamin said in a statement [via The Canadian Press].
"There's so much information, so we felt it was our job to do whatever we could to try and synthesize and make sense of that," Benjamin added.
Visit the National Concert and COVID-19 Regulations Guide here.
The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) — one of the leading advocates for live music in Canada — is looking to bring some much-needed clarity to the myriad restrictions and regulations impacting live events across the country by launching a National Concert and COVID-19 Regulations Guide.
While the free resource was initially introduced last November, it recently underwent a major overhaul to incorporate all of the changes in regulation that have recently come into effect in light of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. According to the page's introduction, CLMA intends for the National Concert and COVID-19 Regulations Guide to be an overview of answers to frequently asked questions from artists, industry personnel and fans amid the ever-changing pandemic-era live music climate.
Organized by every province and territory, each section of the guide is led by the current status of each region (e.g., State of Emergency — or, in Ontario's case, "Modified Level 2"). There's also a link to the COVID-19 protocol website for every region.
The resource goes on to list the most up-to-date information regarding personal protective equipment (e.g., masks), vaccination requirements, testing in lieu of vaccination and exemptions, venue capacity restrictions, whether standing or dancing are allowed, whether children are permitted at events and whether travelling for events is allowed, as well as any necessary quarantine requirements when travelling outside the province.
"If you're on a Canadian tour, you're going into so many different jurisdictions and regions — and given the way COVID has unfolded, it's just been absolutely chaotic," association president Erin Benjamin said in a statement [via The Canadian Press].
"There's so much information, so we felt it was our job to do whatever we could to try and synthesize and make sense of that," Benjamin added.
Visit the National Concert and COVID-19 Regulations Guide here.
