Safety First at the Annual Meeting

While everyone is looking forward to a return to normality, a safe Annual Meeting is a prerequisite for an enjoyable and productive Annual Meeting.

In compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, relevant governmental agencies and health authorities, and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, INTA has outlined protocols and procedures so that registrants’ health and safety are paramount.

“As we finally get together in person, the protocols we have put in place clearly reflect our ongoing commitment throughout this long pandemic to the health and safety of the INTA community,” said INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo.

As the health and safety guidelines related to COVID-19 (and its variants) are continually developing globally, INTA has emphasized that its health and safety precautions are subject to change.

All in-person registrants must provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This means more than two weeks must have passed since receiving the second dose of a two-dose vaccine. For those who had a single-dose vaccine, then two weeks or more must have passed since it was received. A booster vaccine is not required to be considered fully vaccinated, but it is recommended.

Acceptable international vaccinations include those currently recognized by WHO: AstraZeneca, Janssen, Moderna, Pfizer, Serum Institute of India, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.

In addition to proof of vaccination, registrants will be required to provide a negative result of a COVID-19 test performed within 48 hours before picking up their badge and accessing the Convention Center.

This means either an official negative PCR or Rapid Antigen report showing it was taken within 48 hours, or a picture of a negative test result from a home-use self-administered over-the-counter test (self-test kit) performed within 48 hours of badge pickup. If you elect the latter, please visit the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s information portal on self-testing before you administer the test.

Ahead of the Annual Meeting, registrants will be required to upload their proof of vaccination and negative COVID-19 test result through a secure web portal managed by a third-party vendor.

“At this year’s Annual Meeting, wearing your badge takes on increased significance,” Mr. Sanz de Acedo said. “It sends a clear message that you have complied with our health and safety guidelines. It also shows that you support INTA’s mission.”

Once registrants have passed through the health and safety checkpoint and collected their badge at the Convention Center, they will no longer need to provide a negative test result to re-enter the Meeting.

However, in attending the Annual Meeting, registrants agree to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. For those unwell during the Annual Meeting, free on-site rapid testing will be available. If the test result is positive, the registrant will not be allowed to return to the Convention Center or participate in events, unless the registrant provides a subsequent negative PCR test to be verified by the third-party vendor.

INTA will be providing onsite PCR testing at a registrant’s own cost for those who require proof of a negative COVID-19 test for further travel.

Mask mandates will be determined based on health and safety guidelines at the time of the Annual Meeting. Effective March 1, masking is optional at the Convention Center. Given this, INTA is not requiring masking in the Convention Center, but the Association highly recommends that registrants wear them while attending the Meeting.

Social distancing measures will be implemented in accordance with health and safety guidelines in the Convention Center and across Washington, D.C.