Numerous projections indicate that the peak rate of Covid19 infections in the US should occur in the June-July time frame. You can do it yourself! Look up the SIR model, which gives a bare bones, earliest peak estimate based on total population, initial number of cases, and a pair of parameters.
Not ony will the US infection rate be peaking, it is almost certain that our borders will be closed to international travelers, and that major disruptions to the internal transportation and hospitality industries will be prevalent.
Do the right thing: Cancel the meeting. If you do it now, you should be able to hold the meeting online.
I urge members and their families to isolate themselves as much as possible, practice social distancing, and follow recommended hygine practices.
I'm pretty sure that SAS, not AAVSO, will make the decision whether to hold or not hold the June meeting.
Though of course AAVSO may be able to withdraw its part and/or advise its own membership.
Of course, the AAVSO officers and council, and the SAS officials, are working on this now. Let's give them time to come up with a well considered plan before people start banging on the doors.
Phil
Friends,
We are as concerned as you are about COVID19 and we udnerstand implications on our gatherings. We also recognize that meetings is a great opportunity for our community to come together, brainstorm and socialize. We are working with the SAS to provide an alternative to the in-person meeting, and we will let you all know as soon as we reach a decision.
Thank you for your patience. Please be safe!
Best wishes - clear skies,
Stella.
Friends,
An official announcement from the meeting organizers at the SAS:
"We are continuing to follow the development of Coronavirus, and particularly the response of public-health authorities. There is a high probability that we won’t be able to hold our scheduled face to face Symposium. We are evaluating several possible options that would provide a high-quality on-line experience. If these options are not feasible we will cancel the 2020 Symposium. We expect to have a decision by mid-April.
We are temporarily suspending new registrations, until we have decided which approach we’ll take. As previously noted, we will provide full refunds of registration fees if the Symposium is cancelled. New registration materials and on-line registration fees will be determined if we take that route.
Stay tuned."
I will keep you posted as we find out more. Please stay safe!
Best wishes,
Stella.
Glad you came around to the correct decision! Better late than never.
FYI, the APS cancelled its April meeting within a week of my original post, and had a fantastic online meeting. Despite having far less time than the AAVSO has, they were able to run multiple simultaneous sessions, involving participants in several countries, almost without glitches. Perhaps you should contact them for advice regarding software, procedures, and participant training. Or not, it's just a thought.
Friends,
Once again, thank you all for your support and patience as we navigate in this unprecedented time. Registration for the now-online Symposium is now open, and the details of the Symposium are also available on the page.
If you have already registered for the “in person” Symposium, you will receive a full refund of your registration and Workshop fees (to the same credit card that you used to make the original payment). You should cancel your hotel reservations by contacting the hotel directly.
Once again, many thanks, and I hope you enjoy the online experience!
The "state" field is mandatory, could you please make the registration field compatible with international members?
THX
HBE
Heinz-Bernd:
Thank you for flagging this -- the form has been fixed. People in USA + Canada can use the drop-down list "State" (which actually includes USA states and Canada provinces).
Others can use the "Territory" block, which is free text.
Both of these blocks are "non-mandatory". A couple of people in Europe have now successfully registered.
Cheers,
Bob Buchheim
Thanks for fixing this, looking forward to the meeting!!
HBE