The regulation includes the following guidance for graduation ceremonies:
- The total number of persons present at an outdoor graduation ceremony must be limited to 50 percent of the outdoor venue’s maximum occupancy.
- If an outdoor venue does not have a formal certificate of occupancy, 40 square feet per person must be used to calculate the occupancy limit.
- The total number of persons present at an indoor graduation ceremony is limited to 25 percent of the maximum occupancy or 250 people, whichever is smaller.
- A school that plans an indoor graduation ceremony must obtain a letter of approval for its plan showing how it would meet the general requirements of the regulation.
- A record of everyone attending the graduation must be kept for 30 days to enable contact tracing.
- The school must identify a point of contact for an attendee to notify if they test positive for COVID-19 within two weeks after the event. The point of contact must notify the County's Department of Health and Human Services within one business day of notice of a positive test.
- No more than 10 people can be on the stage at one time.
- The ceremony must last no more than two hours.
- Members of the audience from different households must remain at least six feet apart at all times.
- Signage explaining the infectious control requirements must be posted at the venue;
- No group or staged photography.
- No congregating or gathering in common areas both inside and outside of the venue before or after the ceremony.
- A masked speaker must be at least 12 feet from the audience and an unmasked speaker must be at least 18 feet from the audience.
- Diplomas must be distributed without handshakes or physical contact.
- No food or beverage concessions at the ceremony.
School representatives who have questions about graduation ceremonies should send an email to covid.plans@montgomerycountymd.gov.
