Dear Zambu,
We are aware that some of you have experienced or are currently experiencing stomach-related issues, including diarrhea, vomiting, and occasional fever. Upon realizing the extent of these health concerns, we want to assure you that we take sanitation very seriously and have made every effort to prevent such issues from occurring during our ZNA Gathering Celebration, especially considering the outcome of the 2019 ZNA edition. To achieve this, we have collaborated with top-quality service providers and implemented many measures but for now we would like to enhance the following:
1 – Ensuring our water supply comes from a tested and treated source: Our water supply is both pristine and potable, but as an extra precaution, we have added a sodium hypochlorite treatment system to eliminate any potential risks. We have further increased this treatment in response to concerns about the water supply, not because we doubted its quality, but to demonstrate our commitment to providing safe water.
To address the growing demand for water during peak hours, we have taken several steps to improve our water supply system. Since the 2022 edition, we have increased our water supply capacity by 15,000 liters per hour, in addition to the existing 10,000 liters. We have also added a new pump to support the infrastructure. During peak hours this year, the demand exceeded 35,000 liters per hour, prompting us to take additional measures to meet this demand. We worked closely with local firefighters heroes from Avis and Sacavém to secure an additional 150,000 liters of potable water within 48 hours. Moreover, we installed a more powerful pump to further enhance our supply capacity and effectively match the increased demand. All these measures were carried out with proper certifications and the expertise of specialized teams, ensuring the quality and safety of our water supply throughout the event.
2 – Collaborating with the two best WC solution providers in the market: During the event, we provided a total of 90 WCs, which exceeds the typical ratio of toilets per person. This has ensured better accessibility and sanitation for all attendees. We have strategically divided them into groups across ZNA Land, making sure that no one had to walk more than 5 minutes to reach a toilet facility. If one group was full, another group of toilets was just a 5-minute walk away.
3 – Dedicating teams and logistics for garbage collection and cleaning all festival surfaces: We have employed a permanent on-site team to clean all sewer deposits and maintain the cleanliness of tables, counters, and other festival surfaces.
Despite our efforts, our medical team and other staff members identified, in the first days of the festival, the presence of a new strain of COVID called KP.3 at ZNA Land. This strain has been known to cause symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and fever, more info on this HERE. Attendees began relieving themselves and vomiting in natural areas, which unfortunately contributed to poor sanitation. Combined with hot weather, lack of sleep, and inadequate personal hygiene, this has weakened immune systems and fostered the emergence of Norovirus, a highly contagious virus.
While we have worked diligently to maintain high sanitation standards, more people than we anticipated have been affected by these issues. We deeply regret that some of you did not experience the celebration we worked so hard to create. Unfortunately, we cannot fully control individual behavior, but we remain committed to doing everything in our power to ensure the well-being of our ZNA community in the future.
On a positive note, the current strain seems to have a relatively short duration, with most affected individuals recovering within 24 hours when following the appropriate treatment.We deeply apologize for any negative experiences you may have had, and we hope that those of you who left without feeling well will have a speedy recovery. Our sincere wish is that, in time, the positive memories we created together will be the ones that remain in your hearts. We truly value each and every one of our ZNA community members, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all in the future.
We Share ZNA
