COVID-19

This page will contain all updates, from newest to oldest, about our work and plans for Northwest Model United Nations - Portland (NWMUN-Portland) with relation to COVID-19 (the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, also known as "novel coronavirus"). This page will also have some general information on the disease as it relates to our planning; we encourage all readers to seek out other sources of information on the disease broadly. If you have any questions, please contact the Secretary-General. 

Resources:

Steps to Prevent Illness (CDC)

Handwashing Guidelines (WHO)

Oregon Health Authority Resources on COVID-19

Centers for Disease Control Resources on COVID-19

Oregon Department of Education Communicable Disease Guidance

November 6, 2022

NWMUN-Seattle 2022 will maintain the vaccine policy in place since the 2021-2022 academic year for NWMUN-Seattle 2022. This will be the default policy for NWMUN-Portland 2023, unless changed by the NWA Board of Directors between November 21, 2022-February 16, 2023.

• NWMUN-Seattle 2022 will require vaccines against COVID-19 to attend:

  • For US-based delegates, this means one dose of the Johnson and Johnson/Janssen vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

    • For Canada-based delegates, this means one dose of the Janssen vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccines.

• The final dose of the vaccine should be received on or before November 3, to allow for 2 weeks to pass (achieving the fullest extent of the immunity provided by the vaccine) before people begin gathering at the hotel for NWMUN-Seattle 2022.

Boosters are not required, but NWMUN does recommend getting a booster whenever allowable for each individual.

Verification will also work similarly to the 2021-2022 academic year:

• Registering schools will be asked if their college/university has a vaccination requirement for Fall 2022 students and faculty.

• Based on the response to this question, one of two verification processes will be used:

  • • Affirmation: For colleges and universities who have a vaccination policy requiring at least the doses noted above, the team leadership (faculty, president, etc.) will need to affirm during the at-conference registration process that every attendee is an enrolled student or employed faculty member at their college or university for Fall 2022. No individual check will be required for these teams.

    • Individual checks: For all individual delegates, and those colleges and universities who do not have a vaccination policy requiring equal or more doses than the conference requirements, all delegates, head delegates, and faculty will need to show individual proof of vaccination.

• • In the 2021-2022 academic year, most schools (over 80%) used the first (affirmation) process, so this did not noticeably slow down registration in any way.

November 5, 2022

NWMUN-Seattle 2022 has adopted the following policy on mask usage during the conference. This will be the default policy for NWMUN-Portland 2023, unless changed by the NWA Board of Directors between November 21, 2022-February 16, 2023.

• Mask usage will be required at all times while on the floors of the hotel where the conference is taking place, and is suggested for the duration of time attendees are at the conference (including in the lobby, hotel rooms, etc.) Masks may be removed by speakers, at their discretion, while giving a speech.

• Masks may be lowered to take a drink. Masks may be removed while eating during breaks.

  • The NWMUN-Seattle Executive Secretariat and NWA Board of Directors have determined that a social event can be brought back for Seattle 2022, modified into a Delegate Lounge, with adapted COVID protocols. At the Delegate Lounge, masks are strongly encouraged but not required in any way. (This applies as well to head delegates and faculty attending the Leadership Reception.)

April 1, 2021

NWMUN-Seattle 2022 is maintaining the unique refund policy originally created for the 2020 conference as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our intention with this refund policy is to allow attendees to register with peace of mind. This refund policy is listed in full below.

• In the event the conference needs to be canceled (which at present is not planned or even likely, but may occur due to legal requirements, venue closures, or an organizational assessment of the safety and health of our attendees and volunteers), all payments made to NWMUN-Seattle 2022 will be refunded in full.

• In the event the conference needs to be rescheduled (which at present is not planned or even likely, but may occur due to legal requirements, venue closures, or an organizational assessment of the safety and health of our attendees and volunteers), all schools will be offered the option of maintaining their registration for the new dates, or receiving a full refund.

• In the event an attending school has a municipal, county, state, provincial, or national regulation or order not to attend events, their payments will be refunded in full.

• In the event that NWMUN-Seattle 2022 reduces fees for any reason after an attending school has paid, the excess payments made will be refunded in full to reduce that school's total fees paid to their lowest possible rates.