Organized events do not have capacity limits or physical distancing restrictions and are allowed on campus in alignment with the protocols listed below. This guidance applies to events and gatherings including, but not limited to, celebrations, lectures, forums, performances, rallies, social gatherings, concerts, speaker presentations and conferences. It does not apply to academic classes, research activities or normal, daily campus operations.
Please note: This protocol does not apply to events held in UCLA Health hospitals or clinical spaces, which must follow protocols of UCLA Health for events and gatherings.
Indoor events and performances
Face masks: Masking at indoor events is not required — but is strongly recommended — for individuals who are up to date on their vaccinations (including boosters).
Those who are not up to date on vaccinations — including those who have received exceptions to the UC vaccination policy — are still required to wear well-fitting masks at all indoor events.
Requirements for entry: Organizers of indoor events no longer need to check attendees’ proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test, although such checks are still recommended.
If they choose, organizers may implement one of the following pre-entry checks (provided attendees are given advance notice of the requirements):
- Ask all attendees, including guests and visitors, to complete the Symptom Monitoring Survey and present a Symptom Monitoring Survey clearance certificate.
- Ask all attendees, including guests and visitors, to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination (PDF) or proof of a negative test (PDF), per Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guidelines.
Important note: If organizers do decide to implement pre-entry checks for events hosted by their school, department, unit or organization, they must stick to one of the above options and implement it consistently and equitably for all events.
Mega-events: Proof of vaccination or a negative test is not required for indoor mega-events — those with 1,000 or more attendees — which fall under the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s mega-events protocol.
Food and drink: Eating and drinking are permitted — but discouraged — at indoor departmental events. (See more on food at indoor events below.)
Outdoor events and performances
Face masks: Masking is not required at outdoor events, regardless of vaccination status. However, well-fitting masks are still strongly recommended at crowded outdoor events.
Requirements for entry: Organizers of outdoor events no longer need to check attendees’ proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test, although such checks are still recommended.
If they choose, organizers may implement one of the following pre-entry checks (provided attendees are given advance notice of the requirements):
- Ask all attendees, including guests and visitors, to complete the Symptom Monitoring Survey and present a Symptom Monitoring Survey clearance certificate.
- Ask all attendees, including guests and visitors, to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination (PDF) or proof of a negative test (PDF), per Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guidelines.
Important note: If organizers do decide to implement pre-entry checks for events hosted by their school, department, unit or organization, they must stick to one of the above options and implement it consistently and equitably for all events.
Mega-events: Proof of vaccination or a negative test is not required for outdoor mega-events — those with 10,000 or more attendees — which fall under the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s mega-events protocol.
Food and drink at indoor campus events
Indoor dining is permitted at events held at formal campus restaurant establishments and dining halls, which follow the Los Angeles County Department of Health’s best practices for food and beverage services (PDF) and guidance for higher education institutions (PDF). It is also permitted at formal catering venues managed by UCLA Housing & Hospitality, the Luskin Conference Center and ASUCLA. But in all situations, the venue manager should consider moving the event outdoors, either fully or partially.
In addition, there is no longer a prohibition on food and drink at indoor departmental events, including meetings, seminars and gatherings held in departmental spaces, although this is still discouraged. If organizers do plan to serve food and drink, they should reserve a room that is oversized for the number of guests and make sure that attendees who are not up to date on their vaccinations maintain a 6-foot distance from others when removing their mask to eat or drink.
Further details
These protocols are in alignment with guidance from the California and Los Angeles County public health departments and in some cases surpass state and county requirements.
For more information, see UCLA’s Protocol for Organized Events (PDF).
