COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines for All In-Person Attendees
Simons Searchlight is committed to providing the safest environment possible for all conference attendees. As a science organization, the Simons Foundation follows the current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We know that information about COVID-19 is evolving. As new information is shared from the CDC, we will continue to update our COVID-19 policies and alert you to any changes.
As of today, in order to attend the Simons Searchlight conference in person, attendees are required to do one of the following:
- Each attendee must show proof of full vaccination upon arrival at the conference. This means that you should have received your final vaccine shot at least 14 days before the start of the conference.
OR - Each attendee without proof of full vaccination must agree to daily morning testing using rapid test kits provided by Simons Searchlight.
All attendees, regardless of vaccination status or age, will need to report daily, using an electronic health form, that they are feeling well and have tested negative that morning, if applicable. If any member of your family (of any age) is unable to provide proof of vaccination AND unable to attest to a daily negative COVID-19 test result, they will not be able to attend any sponsored conference activities in person.
For proof of vaccination:
- You must provide an acceptable World Health Organization-approved proof of vaccination at the time of entry:
- Physical vaccine card/certificate received upon completion of vaccine series
- Image/copy of vaccine card/certificate received upon completion of vaccine series
- In addition to showing proof of vaccination at the time of entry, you must also upload your vaccination information in advance of the conference. You will be contacted within the next several months with details on how to upload this information.
What is considered “fully vaccinated”?
By CDC guidelines, you are considered fully vaccinated either:
- Two weeks after you received any single-dose or 2-dose COVID-19 vaccine series that is authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These include the following:
- Janssen/J&J (single dose)
- Pfizer-BioNTech (2-dose)
- Moderna (2-dose)
OR
- Two weeks after you received any World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use listed (EUL) vaccines. These include the following:
- Janssen/J&J (single dose)
- Pfizer-BioNTech (2-dose)
- Moderna (2-dose)
- AstraZeneca (2-dose)
- Covaxin (2-dose)
- Covishield (2-dose)
- BIBP/Sinopharm (2-dose)
- Sinovac (2-dose)
- Novavax/Covovax (2-dose)
See the CDC's website for more information.
Masking Guidelines:
- For all attendees over the age of 2 years, masks must be worn at all times when indoors, unless eating or drinking or unless you are subject to an exemption as defined by CDC guidelines (see below for more details).
- Exemption as defined by CDC guidelines:
- Appropriate and consistent use of masks may be challenging for some, including people with certain disabilities. Challenges may be caused by being sensitive to having material on the face, difficulty understanding why wearing a mask is protective (such as those with an intellectual disability), or having difficulty controlling behavior.
- Exemption as defined by CDC guidelines:
The above health and safety policies remain subject to applicable laws and public health guidance.
Other Important COVID Information
- Hyatt Regency, Inner Harbor
- Status of City Services
- Where to get tested for Covid-19 in Baltimore city
Hospitals
