COVID Safety Protocols

Additional details and exceptions are noted in the "Meals" and "Beverage Consumption" sections below.

Here is a list of vaccines that qualify: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/proof-of-vaccination.html#covid-vaccines

In-person conference attendees will be asked to submit proof of vaccination via a webform prior to arriving in San Francisco. Anyone unable or unwilling to provide their information in advance may instead do so onsite at the conference venue, though please note that this will likely result in longer lines during the registration process. Acceptable proof of vaccination includes one of the following: 

• CDC Vaccination Card (physical or digital copy)
• State-issued proof of vaccination card
• Official immunization record from outside of the United States

Conference name badges will only be issued to those who have successfully completed the Full Vaccination verification process. Any unbadged attendees or guests will not be permitted in any meeting room.

Beverage Consumption
Beverages may be consumed during the conference and educational sessions. Masks may only be moved aside for this purpose while actively drinking (i.e. taking a sip), and may not be removed for the entire duration of beverage consumption for the safety of others.

Meeting Room Spacing
The large capacity of the Ballroom (plenary room) means that we will offer spaced out seating. This may not be a full 6 feet (depending on the number of attendees), but will mean that social distancing will be possible. Some tables will also be set with more limited seating. Not all meeting rooms will have this ability/capacity, but we will space chairs apart where possible.

Guest Access
Traditionally, ACBS makes it possible for attendees to bring guests (partners, children, etc.) to some evening activities during the conference. However, this year to ensure the safety of all attendees, all guests (over the age of 4) attending any conference event or entering into any conference meeting room will need to go through the same vaccination verification and badging process as conference attendees. There will be a $10 guest fee for all guests ages 5 and over to help offset the cost of this vaccination verification and badging. Please check here for fees and instructions ($10 each).

Children under the age of 5 will be permitted without any additional badging/verification requirements. 

Registration Refunds
If you find yourself feeling ill with a potentially communicable disease, test positive for Covid, or find that you’ve had close contact with someone who is sick with Covid just before traveling to San Francisco or while you are at the conference this year, we will allow last minute conference refunds for the difference between in-person and virtual access. You’ll still be able to participate virtually and not miss out, AND keep the community safe. If you do not attend the conference in-person and do not notify ACBS prior to June 16, no part of your registration is refundable.

Safety Materials
Hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes, and replacement masks will be available in the conference meeting space.

Illness Reporting
Any attendee that tests positive for COVID-19 during, or in the 3 days following departure from the in-person event are required to notify ACBS staff so that we may be aware. In addition, if you begin experiencing symptoms and/or test positive for COVID-19 during the conference, we require that you refrain from attending subsequent in-person events and instead participate virtually.

Social Distancing “Distance Dots”
ACBS will make available colored stickers for attendees to affix to their name badge. These optional-use stickers are meant to indicate the wearer’s level of comfort with closeness/proximity to others during the course of the meeting.

Green: Open to up close (i.e. less than 6 feet) masked conversations
Yellow: Open to masked conversations that respect a six-foot separation
Red: Please don’t approach

Exemptions from the vaccination requirement:
The ACBS Board has decided to follow CDC guidelines for approved exceptions to the vaccination requirement. Only those individuals who can provide documentation that they fall into either the "red" OR "yellow" sections listed here will be considered exempt from the vaccination requirement.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/interim-considerations-us.html#appendix-e

To qualify for the exemption you must:

1. Provide a letter to ACBS from a licensed Medical Doctor (MD) (other medical professionals would not be appropriate) verifying that the individual has had an allergic reaction to a Covid shot or has a known allergy to a component in the Covid Vaccines available to them.
2. Also provide verification of a Covid test, taken within 48 hours prior to your first attendance to an ACBS World Conference event in San Francisco. (Example, if your first day of attendance will be June 16, 2022, and you fly to San Francisco on June 15, you may get your test done as early as June 14. If you fly to San Francisco on June 14, you may get your test on June 14 or June 15.) “At home” test results are not a permissible alternative.
   1. Negative test results must be printed and come from a laboratory or test provider:
      1. For PCR tests, within 2 days of attendance
      2. For rapid antigen tests, within 1 day of attendance
   2. And acceptable proof of a negative test include the following:
      1. A printed document from a test provider or laboratory
      2. An electronic test result displayed on a phone or other device from the test provider or laboratory – the information should include the person’s name, type of test performed, and negative test result

This may be any one of the tests listed here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html