COVID Protocols (please read, recently updated!)
Infection rates are rising again in our local area (Mayo Clinic Trends). Based on current infection rates, CDC recommends masking indoors for all, staying up to date on vaccinations and boosters (if you are able), maintaining social distancing when possible, and getting tested if you have symptoms. Given the local increases in infection rates (including many vaccinated individuals!) and the fact that many participants will have immunocompromised and/or unvaccinated family members at home, we will be taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of illness at this workshop. We are really excited to be back together again, but we do not want to send our participants home with any viral souvenirs. We anticipate implementing the following:
- Participants will be asked to take a rapid (antigen) test the morning of their first day at the workshop and they will need to certify that they have no COVID symptoms and they have tested negative in order to receive their meeting badge. We ask that you bring at least 2 rapid tests with you when you travel to Woods Hole so that you can take a follow-up test if you begin to feel ill. COVID test kits are widely available in pharmacies and online, and are now covered by health insurance plans. U.S. residents are also eligible to receive 8 free tests through the mail. If you have any questions or concerns about accessing rapid tests, please reach out to the OCB Office. Please don’t take chances – if you start to feel ill, kick back in your hotel room and stream the workshop on Zoom!
- We require N95 or KN95 (or equivalent) masking on the shuttles and inside all of our meeting spaces, including the Redfield Auditorium (speakers may take off masks during presentations so that we can hear them) and Clark 507 poster sessions
- Meals will be outside under a tent. We will do our best to space out seating as much as we can. However, we cannot mask when we are eating (hence the testing requirements above). There are also tables/chairs in Redfield lobby and plenty of other nearby spaces, including outdoors, if you prefer a little more distance during meals.
International travelers – review US CDC guidance here.
We hope that infection rates subside by the time of our workshop but we will continue to prioritize everyone’s safety and maintain strict adherence to CDC guidelines (CDC Quarantine & Isolation Calculator tool). If you fall ill before the workshop (contact us to cancel your attendance), we will refund your registration fee 100%. If you are in Woods Hole already and you start to feel ill during the workshop, please contact an OCB Project Office staff member so that we can help you navigate the situation safely and get the care you need.