This page was last updated on April 29, 2022.
Our attendees’ health and safety remain our top priority as we continue to monitor COVID-19 and look to venue, local, state, CDC, and WHO guidelines to make the best and most informed decisions around onsite safety and requirements. These guidelines are subject to change based upon health and safety recommendations at the time of the event.
A message from the PyCon US 2022 Board Committee: As the COVID-19 landscape continues to change rapidly, the PyCon US Board Committee has implemented an up-to-date vaccination policy at PyCon US. Given the number of community members who will be traveling both domestically and internationally to PyCon US, we feel that our vaccination policy is the best and safest path forward to hosting an in-person conference. We have recently updated our Health & Safety Guidelines to require attendees to provide proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination, as defined by the CDC. You are considered up to date on COVID-19 vaccination if:
We understand that some of our community members do not yet have access to the booster shot, or are ineligible to receive the booster dose at this time. If you have questions or concerns about meeting the criteria for up-to-date vaccination, please come talk to us.
Based on recent data available from the CDC and numerous research studies, face coverings will be required of everyone inside the conference venue at PyCon US.
Exceptions are:
Please note: Other situations may arise in which removal of your mask may be necessary. We ask that you use your own discretion to decide for yourself based on the situation, taking into account these guidelines and the safety of those around you. Reference the CDC Guide to Masks.
Masks must be worn over the nose and mouth and must be made of a tight-knit, non-permeable material. KN95 or N95 masks are recommended. Cloth masks are permitted, but must fit tightly around the nose and face, and, unless worn over a surgical mask, have at least 2 layers. Alternatives to face coverings such as face shields, loose gaiters, scarves, bandanas, and face coverings with ventilation are not permitted. Speakers will not be required to wear masks while presenting. Participants should provide their own masks for the event, though extras will be available at no cost during the conference at the registration desk while supplies last.
UPDATED: All attendees will be required to provide proof of full and up-to-date vaccination of COVID-19 with a WHO-approved vaccine in order to attend PyCon US 2022. PyCon US is partnering with ShareMy.Health to provide proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination for safe attendance at our event. Please visit our Vaccine Verification page for more information.
The definition of full and up-to-date vaccination will be updated to conform to guidelines in place during the event. In accordance with national US health policies and CDC traveler policy, people are currently considered fully vaccinated:
People are considered up-to-date on their vaccinations:
We will not accept a negative COVID-19 test in lieu of proof of vaccination. Although testing is a valuable step to protect others from COVID-19, it will not decrease the chance of spread between attendees [1].
While vaccination has been extremely important, it does not fully protect everyone; older persons and immunocompromised individuals are sometimes unable to mount a full response to the vaccine and are more likely to suffer complications if they do get infected [2]. Thus, these individuals must rely on the vaccination of their surrounding community members so they may remain safe. Our vaccination policy is in place to increase the safety of all attendees at the conference.
Vaccinations today in the U.S. are freely available and are increasingly becoming available worldwide. We require that all attendees get full and up-to-date vaccination prior to the event to reduce the risk to both themselves and others! A U.S. based location guide can be found here.
[1]: https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/delta-variant-experts-answer-questions-on-latest-covid-outbreak/
[2]: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0255524
Individuals should not attend the event if they are COVID-positive, are exhibiting COVID symptoms (as defined by the CDC), or have been exposed, within 14 days prior to the event, to someone who was COVID-positive or showed COVID symptoms.
If you are feeling sick or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or test positive for COVID-19, prior to the start of the conference, or on any day of the conference, please contact us and we will exchange your ticket type for an online ticket or grant you a refund.
Anyone traveling to the event should read and abide by the CDC’s Travel Guidelines for domestic and international travel. We ask that participants respect fellow attendees and do everything possible to ensure an environment that is as safe as possible. If traveling internationally, there is a requirement for proof of a negative COVID-19 test or recovery from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving in the United States. Read more here.
If you choose to stay at one of the hotels that PyCon US has contracted with, please review their health and safety guidelines prior to your arrival:
Due to the continued uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, PyCon US has made the difficult decision to not provide childcare at the PyCon US 2022 conference. Our Health & Safety Guidelines, which require masks and proof of up to date vaccination of all attendees, have been put in place to create the safest environment possible for us to gather in person again. Given that children under the age of 5 are currently ineligible to receive the vaccine and those under the age of two can not reasonably be masked, we feel that this decision is in the best interest of the health and safety of both the children and all attendees.
As many parents know, offering childcare dependably without interruption has been a challenge; we do not feel that we could guarantee consistent care throughout the conference should a child or caregiver test positive or fall ill. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may pose to community members who have depended on this service to attend PyCon US in the past. We intend on providing childcare for all ages at PyCon US 2023 dependent on the availability of the vaccine to all age groups and the status of the pandemic at that time.
We’ve monitored COVID-related news and data since the pandemic started, and we will continue to do so moving forward. We continue to follow all CDC guidelines in addition to those of the local government and venue. International, national, regional, and local sources are closely watched and will result in a change of policy if warranted.
To ensure that we are doing everything possible to keep our community safe and healthy at PyCon US 2022, we are partnering with a local health consultant, Respro Health & Safety, to provide COVID-19 reports and status updates in Salt Lake City, UT. We will continue to provide these reports as they are available:
COVID-19 Testing Resources:
PyCon US takes these Health & Safety Guidelines very seriously and will therefore enforce a 3-strike rule. Anyone who violates these guidelines on three separate accounts, such as continuing to not wear a proper mask or disregard social distancing, is subject to removal from the conference. Anyone who provides false vaccination verification will not be admitted to PyCon US.