Back to top
Covid Safety
Our Covid safety strategy for outside meetings depends on 2 layers, following the swiss cheese model. These are testing and distancing.
Testing
Pluslife
Pluslife is a commercial, molecular LAMP assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA.
If you want to know about the tests we use, read up on the technology on virus.sucks, but to summarize: Pluslife is a test for SARS-CoV-2 infections similar to rapid antigen tests, but with near-PCR sensitivity and it takes 35min for the result.
Contraindications
As some foods and drinks can lead to false results, it is recommended to not drink or eat anything for 30-60 minutes before arrival.
As we test for any indication of Covid, it would also be contraproductive to use any tools/medicine which reduces viral load before testing.
This includes nasal sprays like VirX, as well as mouthwash like Listerine. Since those have an effect for a long time, we ask you not to use them for 4 hours before the event.
We are aware that both are limitations and especially the latter hinders your ability to protect yourself on the way. Sadly, there is no other way to protect the rest of the attendees if we cannot test all attendees correctly.
How do we Swab?
We take samples in the throat, cheek, below the tongue, and at the front of the nose. If swabbing the throat is a problem for you, a nasopharyngeal (deep nose) swab can be done instead.
The swabbing will be done either by us or by yourself supervised by us. The people swabbing/supervising will wear masks and are experienced in taking samples like this.
We take two sample swabs so we have a second one for an individual test in case you are in a positive pool. If taking two sets of samples presents any challenges to you, feel free to speak to us and we will try to find a different arrangement. Arrangements we considered are:
- Only one set of samples is taken immediately and the second only in case you are positive. This will require you to not eat or drink anything until you have a negative pool result or the potential second swab is taken.
- Only one set of samples is taken and tested individually. We would ask you to donate a little bit extra if you can since this almost triples the cost of your test.
Pool Testing
We test in pools of 3. This means that 3 swabs are put inside 1 test kit and tested together. This reduces the amount of machines needed and the cost of the tests.
The disadvantage of pooling is that if the result is positive, we do not know who of the 3 people is positive or how many. Therefore, a positive pool of 3 requires an additional 3 individual tests. We expect few, if any, positive results, as people coming to the event are usually very cautious and therefore unlikely to be currently infected with Covid. But, a negative pool requires 3 additional swabs and 3 additional tests again taking 35 mins. This is why our default process involves 2 swabs in the beginning, to already have a swab ready to retest.
Positive results are often visible after 15 minutes already, meaning the individual tests can start earlier than 35 minutes and will therefore be finished earlier than two full tests. But, if your pool is positive, your time to result takes longer, which might be up to an additional 35mins more.
As we do events for cautious, non-rich people, we chose to do pooling. We try to find individual solutions for the disadvantages, if they are a problem for you. See the swabbing section.
Waiting for results
After being swabbed, you can wait anywhere in the park but the spaces for tested people, or go for a walk. Please keep in mind that since most of the attendees are still untested in the beginning, you and other people might want to keep more distance or wear your mask while waiting.
The test will take around 40 minutes including test preparations, but can take longer if there is a problem in the lab or with another part of the process.
When we have test results, we will come look for you with the number on your wristband. If you want to go for a walk or come back later, you can leave your phone number at the front desk to be messaged your result. If you cannot be reached or found, you get your result whenever you come back to the location.
Wristbands
After swabbing, you get a yellow wristband, which means “you were tested already”. It has a number on it which we use to identify your test, so we can find you again to tell you your result. You will not have to give any personal info to us.
After a negative result, you will receive a green wristband, which means you can enter all areas and other people know you are negative.
Please try to not lose or rip off your wristband.
Masking / Distancing
We have 3 spaces marked out: The distancing area for tested people, the not-distancing area for tested people and the rest of the park. While waiting for your test results, please treat the tested areas just like the indoor space you only to into after being negative.
We will have a split area setup for tested people:
- In one area, people set up their blankets and food in a way they are sufficiently distanced for their risk assessment, and we expect people to particularily be mindful you don't enter peoples blankets/personal space when they don't ask you to. They might wear masks or not, in their particular space.
Most likely, the blankets form a circle around the potluck food in the middle. The circle is supposed to grow in size when new people join, so please move a bit to allow for new people. If you cannot reach the food without entering the other peoples spaces, please put on a mask. As we state for indoor events, please only use certified, non-valved FFP2 and higher masks for that. - In the other area, no particular rules exist in regard to Covid. Please still be respectful with peoples personal space and try to observe and adapt to how people naturally find their distance between each other.
If you want to try the food or the crowd in the other area, either put on a mask and try to keep your distance while navigating the blankets to the food, or join the crowd by extending the distance circle.
Event
Costs and Donation Transparency
It's a public park, so it's free. This means the only arising costs are the costs of testing.
10 Pluslife Tests cost 61,88€. This means a single Pluslife test costs 6,18€, a pool of 3 people costs 2.06€. As we need additional swabs for pool testing, we buy swabs in packs of 100x for 47€, this adds 0.47€ for a total of 2.53€ to test a single person.
If a pool is positive, we need to test 3 people once more, so every positive pool adds 19,95€. We calculate with at most 1 positive pool per event, that added cost is paid by the organizers from donations from previous events, as we cannot know that cost up front.
As we have only a low cost per person, we can easily allow people in without paying, if many other people donate the recommended 5€. The profits we make are split evenly between a donation to the location and our event-pool, from which we pay any positive pools and auxiliary organizing costs (IT, small damages, etc).
In the future, we want to use the money from the event-pool to improve accessibility, for example by providing SIP-valves or shuttle services for people who depend on them to attend.
Accessibility
It's a public park in Berlin. There might be loud people, dogs, kids, as well as music and smoke from other people. We try to keep random people away from our group, but since we are in a public park, we cannot ensure that people don't wander into the group or try to chat you up before someone has the chance to keep them away.
Weather
It will probably be sunny, but please check the weather report yourself before going out. If it rains for a short time only, or just a bit, please bring appropriate clothing, a rain coat or umbrella. If it is sunny, don't forget light clothing and sunscreen.
If it is expected to rain/storm the whole day in a way you also expect this might negatively impact a picknick, please check the event page here for cancellation. Short, light rain won't make us cancel, but if it's just not the weather for picknick, we will cancel and write this on the main page.
Masks can get wet, which drastically reduces their effectiveness and makes it harder to breath through it. Please bring spare masks in case of rain.
Toilets
There are public toilets in the southeast of the park, which you will get to in under 5mins walking. They might be free, or cost up to 1€. Please bring some cash, although we're sure someone will have spare cash they might just give you if you forget.
There are toilets at Tempelhofer Feld, although they are a distance away.
Potluck
Please bring any food or drinks you want to consume, plus some extra so that we have enough to share and try each others food. You are not required to share and can just eat/drink for yourself while socializing/having fun.
If you bake or prepare dishes, please check and write down their ingredients, so people know if it's compatible with their dietary restrictions.
We don't want our attendees to bring or consume strong alcoholic beverages. Intoxication could lead to not following the safety measures and in general might make other attendees uncomfortable, so we kindly ask you to know your limit.
Back to top