As we get closer to conference, we at ITA, along with many of you, have been monitoring the situation involving COVID-19, the coronavirus. Our highest priority is caring for the health and well-being of clients, staff and our community. We are meeting daily to discuss the latest recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). At this time, the conference will proceed as planned, and we will continue to inform all of you of any updates as they emerge from local and government agencies that will impact the event.
In an effort to create the safest environment possible, we have established precautions and procedures based on the most current, available information from public health agencies and are following recommendations listed in the CDC’s Interim Guidance for Large Community Events.
Here is how we are addressing safety concerns:
• We encourage participants to remain up to date on the CDC’s recommendations for travel.
• We are working with the Hilton Garden Inn to ensure the safety of all conference attendees.
• We are encouraging participants to make our conference a “handshake-free” event.
• We will be providing hand sanitizers and tissues and also recommend hand washing as much as possible.
• We will be wiping down surfaces between speakers and between conference days.
• To protect our community please stay home if you are sick, whether the illness is COVID-19, the flu, the common cold, or any other infectious disease. We will provide full refunds on a case by case basis.
Right now, these are the most important things you can do to protect yourself and your community:
• Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
We ask that members of our community continue to support each other, avoid uninformed assumptions, and base your decisions about travel and health precautions on the best available information.
Please reach out to the conference committee, ITAconference@itachicago.org with any questions or concerns.