SOT is greatly anticipating its 59th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo and is eager to welcome those who are traveling to Anaheim, California, for this event.
SOT takes the health and safety of its Annual Meeting attendees, exhibitors, volunteers, staff, and others seriously, which means the Society is monitoring the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) updates, reports, and guidance related to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Based on the US CDC assessment that most people in the United States have little immediate risk of exposure to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the assessment by the Orange County and County of Los Angeles public health authorities that the risk in those communities is low, the SOT 59th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo is proceeding as planned. For more information on the COVID-19 situation in the United States, visit the US CDC website. You also can find up-to-date information on the OC Health Care Agency website and the County of Los Angeles Public Health website.
As you know, SOT is committed to diversity and inclusion and thus has been working closely with colleagues from China, Iran, and other areas affected with widespread or sustained community transmission as identified by the US CDC to accommodate their participation in the meeting through remote presentations and the sharing of ePosters through the Online Planner and SOT Event App. While 80% of the Special Interest Group members reside in the United States, we recognize that the percentage of individuals who annually attend the meeting from outside the United States may be lower this year, and we will greatly miss the contributions of these colleagues, which is why we are making every possible effort to include them in this year’s activities remotely.
To help facilitate the health and safety of all meeting participants, volunteers, and staff, SOT is adopting a “no handshake rule” during the Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, encouraging individuals to simply greet each other verbally instead. In addition, the Anaheim Convention Center is increasing the frequency of their sanitization routines, and SOT encourages individuals to follow the recommendations by the US CDC for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and respiratory illnesses, including washing your hands often, staying home if feeling unwell, and regularly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. SOT also recommends that all those traveling to Anaheim assess their health and check for symptoms of ailment before traveling.
In addition to the preventative actions being undertaken, the Anaheim Convention Center and hotels have emergency plans in place that were established in collaboration with the local health authorities. If needed, SOT will follow these protocols and procedures for the health and safety of all meeting participants. As always, trained medical personnel will be available during the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo.
Finally, SOT works with a wide variety of vendors to run the meeting—from those assisting exhibitors in building their booths in the ToxExpo and the technicians running the audio and visual equipment in each meeting room to the convention center and hotel staff serving meals, cleaning the facilities, and more. Predominantly, the workforce for these vendors is based locally, meaning most individuals staffing the meeting are not arriving from outside California.