Amarillo Civic Center Announces Plans For Reopening Amid Covid-19

When was the last time you remember seeing a show or attending an event at the Amarillo Civic Center? Yeah, it's been a while. The Amarillo Civic Center Complex closed it's doors in March when we saw the first wave of coronavirus and Covid-19 hit the panhandle. Now, after several months, the civic center is reopening to the public.

The civic center held it's first event this past weekend in the Regency Room. The Amarillo Coin and Currency Show welcomed visitors back to the building over a three day run. This coming weekend, the civic center will hold it's first large event since March, the Texas Gun and Knife Show. The large event will take place Saturday and Sunday in the South Exhibit Hall.

Under the current executive orders from Governor Greg Abbott that were issued in June, event organizers and employees (like the Amarillo Civic Center Complex) are allowed to reopen with Covid-19 health protocols in place.

“The administration and staff of the Amarillo Civic Center Complex are excited to reopen the facility to the public and to the Amarillo area,” said ACCC General Manager Sherman Bass. “What helped make this reopening possible was the commitment of our administration and staff to adhering to a wide array of safety procedures and protocols that help provide a safe environment for all who use the Amarillo Civic Center Complex.”

In order to attend an upcoming event at the civic center, face coverings / masks will be required. This also includes staff working inside the civic center. Hand sanitizer stations are placed throughout the complex as well.

The Amarillo Civic Center Complex has issued a full set of guidelines that cover all aspects of the facility:

• Physical Distancing: Guests and employees are advised to practice physical distancing by standing at least six feet away from other guests while standing in lines, using elevators, and moving around the complex. Individual event layouts will be arranged to enable appropriate distancing.
• Face coverings: All employees, patrons, lessees, and vendors are required to wear face coverings while inside the ACCC.
• Hand Sanitizer: Hand sanitizer dispensers are placed at key patron and employee contact areas such as entrances, concourses, meal functions, concession stands and restrooms.
• Signage: Health and hygiene reminders are placed throughout the facility with special attention to entry doors, restrooms, and other high traffic areas. Main entrances have signage communicating COVID-19 symptoms and asking everyone to take personal responsibility for preventing disease spread.
• Case Notification: If we are alerted to a case of COVID-19 at the facility, we will work with the local health authority and will follow the appropriate steps to take with patrons.

Patron Responsibilities

• Arrival Our patrons are asked to self-screen prior to entering the complex. Please do not enter or attend an event with any of the following signs or symptoms:
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Chills
  • Repeated shaking with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Loss of taste or smell
  • Diarrhea
  • Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Known close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19

Inside the Amarillo Civic Center Complex

• Face coverings are required for everyone inside the ACCC. This includes employees, patrons, lessees and vendors.
• Main entrances have signage communicating COVID-19 symptoms and asking everyone to self-screen and take personal responsibility for preventing disease spread.
• High touch surfaces are disinfected throughout the day.
• Signs ask guests to limit elevators to the appropriate number of passengers at a time.
• Any area where patrons queue are marked with proper distancing.
• Doors will be placed open to limit touch, when practical.
• Signage throughout the complex with special attention to restrooms and public concourses remind everyone to wear a face covering and practice social distancing and good hand hygiene.
• ACCC has designated sanitation specialists, easily identified with reflective vests, that focus on wiping down high-touch areas and maintaining the cleanliness of the complex. Please let them know if something needs attention.
• Access to spaces throughout the complex may be temporarily restricted as needed for effective and efficient cleaning and sanitization.

Employee /Patron Interaction

• No handshaking or physical contact with patrons, clients or other employees.
• Protective gloves worn whenever items are being given to patrons or clients.
• Social distancing of at least 6’.
• Continuous training on new or revised guidelines and procedures.
• All employees are required to self-screen daily and to stay home if they are experiencing any of the symptoms noted previously.

Event Space Design

• Floor plans for events such as banquets, tradeshows, conferences, and more are designed with intrinsic social distancing in mind. Clients are asked to follow staff guidance to ensure continued health and safety protocols are met for the duration of their event. Seating maps for ticketed events have been created to allow for social distancing between parties.

Concessions

• Entrance, exit, and wait queues have been established for all concessions areas to limit cross-traffic and promote social distancing.
• All condiments will be provided in prepackaged packets and by request only.