DebConf25 COVID handling feedback report
Dear DebConf Team(s) members,
You will find below a summary of the answers I received. A big thank you
to all those who participated, it was really helpful for the preparation
of the debrief meeting.
---
# 2025-08-25 Feedback Poll Report
This poll [1] was posted on Mon, 25 Aug 2025 on the `debconf-team` and
`debconf25-orga` mailing lists, and was advertised on two IRC channels.
It
followed a proposal that was aggreed to in the 2025-08-12 team meeting
on the
`#debconf-team` IRC channel.
[1]: https://lists.debian.org/debconf-team/2025/08/msg00001.html
## Feedback poll summary
7 persons answered the questions. The feedback could be summarized as:
- most team members expected COVID to be an issue
- COVID policy and procedures were discussed, but there are wide
divergences
about what team members remember from these discussions
- preparation and equipment weren't satifying
- it is difficult to spot people with COVID symptoms among attendees
- some volunteers/staff were approached by people complaining about
other
attendees not wearing "appropriate" face masks
- nobody had to ask an attendee to leave the venue; most
volunteers/staff would
not be really comfortable doing that, but would still do it if
necessary.
### Did you expect COVID cases to be an issue at DebConf25?
- Yes (×5)
- No (×2)
### Do you remember if the COVID policy and procedures were discussed
during the preparation of the event, and if so could you summarize in a
few words what you remember from these discussions?
- They were discussed, but they stayed in a rather vague state.
- Yes. We discussed it, and decided to stick with the wording we had for
previous year's. [snipped: detailed explanation] So... yes, evidence
shows we
have failed to take this item seriously enough to be discussed at
meetings.
- The COVID policy was discussed within the local team, and there was a
report
of those discussions during a global team meeting. I believe that I
internally raised concerns about the weakness of the policy, but the
logistics
of enforcing a less weak policy (notably the availability of tests and
effective masks) within the context of France were not sustainable at
the scale
of the local team.
- I thought that there was some conflict within the local team. There
wasn't
consensus on the need for a policy, and those who felt strongly
weren't
empowered to make it happen without a mandate.
- Yes it was mainly individual response and [availability of tests].
- Cannot summarize.
- I wasn't yet involved when this was discussed.
### Do you think the DebConf Team was well prepared and equipped to
handle COVID cases or other health or emergency issues at DebConf25?
- No
- Absolutely not. [snipped: detailed explanation]
- Emergencies: yes
- No, we were not. We lacked a good number of _good_ masks and tests.
(...) We
also didn't have a sensible action plan other than "stay in your
room", which
sucked and hurt people.
- Not that bad, but could and should be better.
- Only just. We had some tests, and we rushed to get more. We had a plan
of
"isolate in maisel and provide food", like we did in Korea, but this
time do
a better job of it.
- I believe some details of the policy were amended/shifted during
DebConf25,
so preparation could've been better.
### During DebCamp/Conf25, do you remember seeing people that appeared
to have potential COVID symptoms and should have worn a mask but did
not?
- I am not a doctor so I [can't say].
- Yes, but most of the externally visible COVID symptoms are
indistinguishable
from respiratory allergy symptoms (and I suffer from those, so even I
would
have matched this description during DebCamp).
- No (×2)
- Yes
- I didn't notice.
- No, but I was very busy and not socializing with everyone.
### During DebCamp/Conf25, were you directly contacted or approached by
people complaining about other attendees not wearing face masks?
- No (×4)
- I heard about this 2nd hand. Particularly for the cases where the
other
attendee was known to be positive.
- Yes, I did receive some complaints about people being apparently-sick
while
wearing a "not-good-enough" cloth over their nose+mouth while in
social
spaces. I didn't find the person in question, but did look for them a
bit.
Maybe they decided to retreat to their room?
- Yes
### During DebCamp/Conf25, did you have to ask any attendee to wear a
mask and/or remain out of the venue? Did you / would you feel safe and
comfortable doing so?
- I didn't feel obliged to ask that.
- I would feel comfortable doing so, but I didn't have to.
- Yes it is not a problem for me but some people were against vax so it
is a
problem.
- No, I didn't ask anybody to; if I had found this person I was
contacted
about, I'd have told them (...) I would not be very comfortable
communicating
this, but I'd be OK with it, it's one of our responsabilities as orga.
- I wouldn't feel comfortable, but if I had the role to enforce a
COVID-19-policy, I would do it.
- No, but I should have; [snipped: example]. I didn't feel like I had
the
energy to take up this conversation, and further discussions during
the event
proved me right a hundred-fold.
- No, and mostly yes.
### Feel free to add other comments, just please try to keep them
reasonably concise.
- Thanks a _lot_ for organising DebConf under these not always easy
circumstances!
- I would suggest future organizers to seek the help from local
community
organizations focused on public health; For instance France had
https://associationarra.wordpress.com/. DebConf should look into
subscribing to
the https://publichealthpledge.com/.
- I do care about the safety of the other attendees, of course, but it
seemed
like there should be a way to still get food (in a mask), and spend
some time
outside (once the fever was over).
---
Cheers,
--
Julien Plissonneau Duquène
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