Health & Safety

Mask Mandate

While wearing a mask at this event is still strongly recommended, we are no longer mandating that masks be worn. We are updating this protocol to be inline with the lifting of mask mandates across municipalities, airports/airlines and other conferences, businesses and settings.

COVID-19 cases continue to drop, booster vaccines have become more widely available, and we are moving toward an endemic stage of COVID-19. While wearing a mask is proven to limit your exposure to COVID-19, the Linux Foundation feels comfortable allowing individual participants at the event to make this decision for themselves rather than mandating for all.

Vaccine OR Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination OR a Negative COVID-19 Test is required to attend in person. Please read detailed requirements for each below. 

Proof of Vaccination

If you are showing proof of vaccination to attend in person, you will need to show that you are ‘fully vaccinated’ against the COVID-19 virus. Fully vaccinated is defined as two weeks (14 full days) after the final dose (1 of 1, or 2 of 2) of a vaccine approved for emergency or full use by the World Health Organization. View the most up-to-date list of accepted vaccines here. 

The following are acceptable forms of proof of full vaccination: 

• Government-issued or government-compliant digital vaccination verification app (such as Clear or VaxYes)
• Physical (or digital photocopy of) COVID-19 vaccination card, record, or certificate issued by a government agency, public health agency, or other authorized vaccine provider (a photo will also suffice).

The proof of vaccination record must show the name of the vaccinated individual along with one other personal identifier (such as date of birth or passport number), name of the manufacturer for vaccine received, and date(s) of vaccination. It must also include the name of the official source issuing the record (e.g., public health agency, government agency, or other authorized vaccine provider).

Negative COVID-19 Test

In lieu of proof of vaccination, participants may instead show proof of a negative COVID-19 test administered by a verified provider to enter the event. 

• The test must be a PCR, NAAT, or Antigen test taken within 24 hours of presenting the test results onsite at the event. 
• You may also take a proctored at-home test through a verified provider (such as eMed) that provides a certified lab report with a negative test result. Unproctored at-home tests without lab certified results will not be accepted.
• The test results must include your name and the date and time of the test. 

A list of local providers are located in the Resource & Guidance section for those that would like to make local appointments.

On-Site Vaccine & Negative COVID Test Verification

Participants will need to show either proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test and a government-issued photo ID to enter the event. 

Daily ID Checks

On subsequent days of the event, every participant will need to show their ID to verify their identity to enter the event.

Wearable Indicators of Social Distance Comfort Levels

We will provide a wearable indicator of social distance comfort levels for event participants to wear onsite (optional but encouraged). Participants are asked to be respectful of each other’s comfort level on social distance.

Please expect some, if not all, to be in place at 2022 in-person events as well. 

This list, and all protocols, are subject to change as the fluid COVID-19 situation changes. 

What should I do if I am onsite and not feeling well?

If you aren’t feeling well, please watch for COVID-19 symptoms. Depending on your symptoms and how unwell you feel, please take an at-home COVID test (we highly recommend traveling with your own tests) or go to the nearest testing facility, urgent care, or hospital.

If you have chest pain or shortness of breath, we advise you to call 911 or go directly to the Emergency Room.

COVID-19 Testing

Rapid COVID-19 tests will be available at the registration desk upon request.

Should you end up testing positive for COVID:

• Follow the guidance of the testing facility, urgent care, or hospital that you visited in order to best protect yourself, as well as the community.
• Please follow the guidance of the testing facility, urgent care, or hospital that you visited in order to best protect yourself, as well as the community. The facility at which you test positive will notify the Department of Health if deemed necessary by local guidelines for contact tracing purposes.
• You will not be able to return to the event.
• Email Angela Brown, SVP & GM of Events, at angela@linuxfoundation.org, to let us know. While we will need to let event participants know that someone onsite tested positive for COVID-19, we will not disclose your name.

I have been vaccinated, do I need to provide a negative COVID-19 test?

A negative COVID-19 test result is only required to be shown by those that cannot show proof of full vaccination.

How often will I need to provide my negative COVID-19 test results?

A negative COVID-19 test result is only required to be shown one time, at the initial entry to the event in order to pick up your badge.

What defines proof of vaccination?

Proof of vaccination is defined as two weeks (14 full days) after the final dose (1 of 1, or 2 of 2) of a vaccine approved for emergency or full use by the World Health Organization. We do not require proof of booster vaccines.

I only received part of a COVID vaccine, or the vaccination I received was not approved by the WHO, what should I do?

If you have an incomplete series and only received one of a two-shot vaccine, or your vaccine was not one approved for use by the WHO, you will need to present a negative COVID-19 test to enter the event.

Who can I contact with additional questions if my questions aren’t answered here?

You can contact us at events@linuxfoundation.org.