As the American Thoracic Society prepares for its first in-person International Conference since 2019, it continues to be nimble in response to new developments in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The health and safety of our attendees, of our staff, and of our vendors and their staff are of paramount importance,” said ATS Chief Executive Officer Karen J. Collishaw, MPP, CAE. “We are confident that we can provide a conference that is stimulating and exciting as well as safe.”
All ATS 2022 attendees, staff, and vendors must wear face masks while on site at conference facilities and be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As of Feb. 1, the city of San Francisco will include booster shots in its requirement for proof of up-to-date vaccination for conference participants. Individuals must receive the COVID-19 booster by May 6, one week before the start of the conference, for admittance.
Hand sanitizer stations will be available throughout the Moscone Center, where ATS 2022 will take place May 13-18, and headquarter hotels during the conference. All venues with official ATS 2022 activities also will follow all state of California and city of San Francisco laws and regulations for COVID-19 mitigation in effect during this time.
“We’ve been to San Francisco many times, so we have a long-standing, good working relationship with the city and Convention and Visitors Bureau officials that has only gotten stronger during COVID because there has been more conversation with the various officials,” Ms. Collishaw said. “We’ll all be coordinating very carefully with each other.”
Health and safety policies for ATS 2022 are subject to change based on revised guidelines from the host state and city, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization, as well as industry best practices. The Health and Safety section of the conference website is regularly updated with the latest information regarding COVID-19 protocols for ATS 2022.
The Moscone Center received Global Biorisk Advisory Council STAR accreditation in 2021. This designation recognizes the center’s cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention practices.
Register for ATS 2022
Register today for the ATS 2022 International Conference! Don’t miss this opportunity to take part in the in-person conference, May 13-18 in San Francisco. Join your colleagues to learn about the latest developments in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.