Hey folks! These new policies, drafted as a response to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, will be in place from now on as we reopen to keyholding members starting August 4. Take the time to read through them and get familiar with these changes before you visit QAS. Things will be a little different as you come back, but we are doing our best to put the safety of our members and staff first. 

Accessible areas:

• Members are requested to stick to the Media lab, camera suites and edit suite as much as possible while they are in the space. For the time being, the front office, kitchen, library and upstairs studios are STAFF ONLY spaces. Our media lab/classroom is the safest space in our building in terms of airflow circulation and turnover, and we want to keep member safety a priority.
• Use of the spaces until further notice is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY — please email production@quickdrawanimation.ca with the subject line “QAS visit appointment” if you want to come by and use our equipment. If you are dropping in you may be turned away, if we are already at capacity of the number of people we can safely have in the space at one time.

Bathrooms:

• We request that you limit the time spent in our bathrooms as much as reasonably possible. Take the time you need to do your business, but do not use this as a space to hang out on your phone or take an extended break. In terms of airflow and circulation, our bathrooms unfortunately have a low amount of air turnover, and that combined with multiple shared touch surfaces may pose a higher risk for COVID contact if someone sick uses them.
• You are responsible for helping us to keep these places clean and safe! Please sanitize your hands before entering and after exiting the bathrooms at the hand wash station outside, and use the cleaning supplies provided in the bathrooms to wipe down surfaces you may have touched and your hands at the end of your visit — door handles, sick taps, toilet handle, light switch etc. 
• Now, more than ever, please switch on the fan while you are using the facilities. The fan switch will be clearly marked on the wall outside the bathroom doors. If you forget to tap it on your way in, please at least remember to press the fan button on the way out! 

Mask Usage:

• Masks are recommended if you are coming into the space to pick up/drop off gear. If you happen to forget your mask we will still honour your rental but will have the expectation that you are limiting your time on our space to the minimum required to pick up or drop off equipment and process any necessary payments. Please come to the back door and message that you are here to process gear rentals. 
• Masks are required for spending any longer amounts of time in the space — please be responsible for bringing your own! Masks have been shown to reduce the transmission rate of COVID-19 significantly, and the safety of members and staff is a priority for us at this time.

New procedures:

• If you have been travelling outside of the country or been around someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days, DO NOT ENTER QAS. Stay home, self-quarantine, keep our community safe. If you have symptoms such as: cough, fever or body aches, stay home! Staff will ask you to leave if they feel you are putting the safety of the space at risk
• We will require that you sign a waiver upon entering the space affirming that you have not travelled recently or otherwise feel that you could be at risk for being COVID-19 positive. We will also have new sign-in procedures when you enter and exit QAS, so that we can allow for contact-tracing should anyone COVID-19 positive enter QAS.
• If you use any equipment not already at your desk station during your time in the space — eg. pencils, scissors, drawing tablets — please be sure to place them in the “used items” bin in the classroom, DO NOT return them to the shelves. We want to be able to disinfect used equipment before returning it to circulation!
• Ask a staff member if you need to access any services in the front area — eg. access to the library, front office area or upstairs studios. Staff can help grab materials from these spaces for you, and if you do need to move around in the areas a mask is strictly required. Don’t hang out in these areas longer than necessary.
• Staff members are working to protect the safety of the space and its membership. Adhere to staff instructions regarding COVID-19 protocols. We will not tolerate any abuse towards our staff, and if they feel you are putting the safety of the space at risk they have the right to ask you to leave.
• There will be some responsibility placed on producing members if you are using our space to properly sanitize your station. Staff can walk you through proper cleaning protocols, especially regarding our electronics. Help us keep QAS safe and minimize risk for other members!
• Entrance through the back doors is highly preferred at this time. Please be diligent in making sure the door closes properly behind you when you enter/exit. 
• Bring your own headphones if you need to listen to audio — we will no longer be supplying headphones for drop in visits as we are unable to ensure they are fully sanitized between uses. Headphone rentals for use at home is still possible however!
• Maintain social distancing where possible. 6 feet apart pals!
• Back up your data on personal devices after every visit! In the event that someone COVID-19 positive enters our space and the staff feel that safety is at serious risk, we may need to fully shut down QAS without notice. If this happens we are not responsible for your data, nor any delays to your production.