AIDS-research conference still on in Boston

Organizers of the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections said tonight their conference will open Sunday as scheduled - but with added precautions to protect some 4,000 attendees from any possible Covid-19 infection, and with a request that people from countries that have had outbreaks or who are immunocompromised or "fit into other high risk categories for serious disease if they acquire an infectious respiratory illness" stay home.

Among the added steps: Having an EMT on site at all times in case anybody falls ill.

Organizers wrote:

We may have substantially fewer attendees, which will reduce crowding and congregating in constrained spaces. We are working to develop a number of creative avenues for making more of the conference available through real-time webcasting, internet and electronic media. We understand that a number of registrants will not be able to travel due to government- or institution-based restrictions, involvement in local hospital or health system responses to COVID-19 outbreaks, or who decide not to attend for personal considerations. CROI will be as flexible as possible in making electronic programming, mobile app, and meeting materials available to all registrants. There will be no penalty for those unable or unwilling to attend.

The decision comes after a large seafood convention at the South Boston convention center was postponed due to Covid-19 concerns.