American Astronomical Society AAS239: COVID-19 Update
The AAS Board of Trustees voted in October 2021 to move forward with an in-person 239th AAS meeting considering all information, medical advice, and public health guidance available at the time. The appearance of the omicron variant of the coronavirus and its subsequent spread in the past few weeks has many in our community concerned about #AAS239, despite the requirement for vaccination, mandatory masking, and other safety measures.
AAS President Paula Szkody has therefore called a special meeting of the Board for no later than Monday, 27 December, and possibly as early as Wednesday, 22 December, to discuss the situation and consider what to do. Your input is welcome as the Board of Trustees undertake this discussion; please submit your comments to AAS239feedback@aas.org. At the current time, we anticipate that the virtual portion of the meeting may go forward.
In addition to listening to our community, the Board will also be gathering advice from medical and public health experts as well as other organizations who have recently met or will be meeting shortly after AAS 239.
Any decisions made by the Board will be widely disseminated shortly after the special meeting concludes. Thank you for your patience and support.
