WHO mass gathering COVID-19 risk assessment tool: generic events, version 3

Overview

The WHO mass gathering COVID-19 risk assessment tool - generic events has undergone a third revision. Version 1 was published on 20 March 2020 under the title “Mass Gathering risk assessment COVID-19: key considerations” and Version 2 was published on 10 July 2020 under the title "WHO Mass Gathering COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool - Generic Events".

The content of the tool has been updated to reflect new WHO technical guidance and new evidence on both COVID-19 pandemic and mass gatherings, as well as feedback from end-users. This revision of the risk assessment tool was developed and reviewed by the WHO Mass Gathering Technical Expert Group with input from WHO area-specific technical teams. The expanded tool includes eight tabs: 1. Instructions; 2. Assessment Overview; 3. Decision Tree; 4. Risk Evaluation; 5. Risk Mitigation; 6. Decision Matrix; 7. Risk Communication; and 8. Reviewer Sign Off. There as an additional tab with a glossary and list of abbreviations. 

The WHO mass gathering COVID-19 risk assessment tool version 3 includes newly published research and evidence from WHO pertaining to areas such improved SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, vaccines, variants of concern (VoC), ventilation considerations, and risk communication and community engagement and infodemic management (RCCE-IM) event strategies. Following lessons learned from previous mass gatherings held during the COVID-19 pandemic period the risk evaluation and risk mitigation questions and statements respectively decreased attention to venues cleaning/sanitation measures, decreased personal protection equipment (PPE) considerations except for mask use, increased measures on the quality of masks, newly included ventilation considerations, increased attention to physical distancing measures, to surveillance screening testing for events and developing detailed testing protocols, as well included travel restriction considerations for host countries.  

Further effort was made to visibly connect the questions from the risk evaluation pillar to statements in the risk mitigation pillar for end-users to understand how risks may arise during a mass gathering and what actions can be performed to mitigation such risks.   

The risk communication pillar was significantly enhanced with the principles of the risk communication and community engagement and infodemic management to be used to develop the mass gathering strategy.