Re: [107all] Update on IETF 107 Vancouver and COVID-19

[Joseph Potvin <[e-mail]>]

Just an FYI, this notice came from the FSF regarding their annual event on
14-15 March.
* * *
LibrePlanet <https://www.libreplanet.org/2020> has an important role in
building ties and collaboration in the free software movement, and we know
how much many people look forward to it each year. The onset of the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19) is a stressful and devastating development. We are
considering all possible measures that might need to be taken as we
carefully track the latest news updates. We are committed to the safety of
our attendees, staff, and their wider communities, so we are approaching
these decisions carefully.

At this time, the risk for Massachusetts residents remains low, and there
are no travel notifications
<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html> for the
United States or Boston, MA. The latest update from the World Health
Organization (WHO)
<https://www.who.int/ith/2019-nCoV_advice_for_international_traffic-rev/en/>
from February 29 continues to advise against the application of any
international travel restrictions, based on current information available.
For the time being, we are remaining optimistic that LibrePlanet 2020 can
continue as planned.

We will continue to monitor public health notifications, using information
provided by the City of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the WHO, and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html>, which is charged
with monitoring and responding to the coronavirus in the US. We are
coordinating with the venue to increase the disinfecting of surfaces and to
have sanitizer on site. Please be assured that we care about your safety
just as much as your freedom, and are taking every precaution to ensure
that the event is as inspiring and successful as ever.

If you have traveled to an area known to be at risk to COVID-19
<https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports>
in the month leading up to LibrePlanet 2020, please ensure that you have
shown no flu-like symptoms in the last 14 days since your travel to that
region. If you decide to cancel your registration for any reason related to
this situation, please let us know at [e-mail], so we are fully
aware of how many people are being affected. If your registration was paid,
we will refund it. The event will be streamed live, so you will not have to
miss out on the entire experience.

Should the situation worsen, forcing a cancellation of the in-person event,
an announcement will follow on fsf.org <https://www.fsf.org> and
libreplanet.org/2020 <https://www.libreplanet.org/2020>. All registered
conference participants will receive an update via email. We are also
preparing contingency plans to be able to offer at least some talks via
remote streaming.

Please keep yourself informed, and remember to protect your own health and
others' by following basic best practices
<https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public>.
Again, we are taking every step that we can to make LibrePlanet 2020 a safe
experience for all of its attendees.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

Zoë Kooyman
Program Manager

Joseph Potvin
Executive Director, Xalgorithms Foundation
Mobile: [phone]
[e-mail]
https://www.xalgorithms.org