COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) PREPAREDNESS

Information updated: March 6, 2020 — The Society for Reproductive Investigation’s 2020 Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place as planned March 10-14, 2020 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Registration is strong and the SRI is taking all necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of attendees. We want to assure everyone planning to attend the SRI Annual Meeting that their health, safety, and security is our top priority. We will be providing membership regular updates on the meeting as our environment changes. The Society for Reproductive Investigation’s leadership team is actively evaluating developments concerning COVID-19, commonly known as the coronavirus, and staying abreast of updates from health organizations responsible for tracking and responding to the virus, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control(ECDC).

The Society for Reproductive Investigation's 2020 Annual Meeting will take place as planned March 10 - 14, 2020 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and the SRI is taking all necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of attendees in light of concerns about COVID-19, commonly known as the coronavirus. We are closely monitoring developments and staying abreast of updates from health organizations responsible for tracking and responding to the virus, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). We want to assure anyone planning to attend the SRI Annual Meeting that their health, safety, and security is our top priority.

How we are preparing:

While the CDC notes that immediate risk from COVID-19 is low, the SRI is prepared to rapidly respond to any issues that arise during the meeting and provide assistance to all attendees. We are taking the following to actions to prepare:

• Adhering to all guidance and recommended safety measures issued by the WHO, CDC, BCCDC, and local health organizations, including:
  • CDC’s healthcare protocols for management of COVID-19 by state and local health departments updated as of January 2020.
  • WHO’s recently released Key Planning Recommendations for Mass Gatherings in the Context of the current COVID-19 Outbreak.
• Working with the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Vancouver International Airport Authority, and area hotels to coordinate appropriate safety procedures. The Vancouver Convention Center has released the following statement regarding the extra precautions in place to address concerns.  
• Following CDC and BCCDC recommendations and protocols for heightened cleanliness at event facilities, including increasing the number of hand sanitizing stations located throughout the facility.
• Actively encouraging attendees to take common-sense precautions and follow CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of illness.
• Ensuring that medical care is readily available to address immediate healthcare concerns of attendees.
• Tourism Vancouver staff will be onsite at a booth near the registration desk at the Annual Meeting if attendees are inquiring about medical services. They will be answering questions accordingly and use the visitor map to direct attendees to nearby facilities if needed. Tourism Vancouver has noted that any concerns regarding COVID-19 while onsite in Vancouver, individuals must call 811 first and will be directed on the phone next steps.
• Checking for symptoms:
  • If you or someone you know is experiencing possible COVID-19 symptoms, call the provincial health information hotline at 8-1-1, or contact the B.C Centre for Disease Control at 1-833-784-4397. You can also conduct an initial self-diagnosis at the provincial government’s HealthLinkBC page: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/hwsxchk.

The SRI is taking COVID-19 very seriously and is fully engaged and prepared to host a successful Annual Meeting in Vancouver. The city of Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention Centre hosts successful conventions and other large-scale events daily and are maintaining cleanliness and safety standards throughout public spaces, hotels, and meeting facilities.

We encourage attendees to monitor the CDC website for additional information and follow the WHO's Travel Advice as they consider their travel arrangements to the SRI Annual Meeting, as well as its recommendations for protecting themselves from an infection. In addition, we are closely monitoring all travel alerts issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

We will continue to update you via sri-online.org and email. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the SRI at +1-414-918-9888 or via our website.

Additional resources: 

World Health Organization Twitter: @WHO
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Twitter: @CDCgov
BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) Twitter: @CDCofBC
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Twitter: @GovCanHealth and @CPHO_Canada
Canada Border Services Agency Twitter @CanBorder
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Twitter: @ECDC_EU
AMA Resource Center for Physicians