A relative was supposed to attend the American Physicists Society convention--just cancelled

[Mrs. Overall]

due to coronavirus.

The gathering would have started this coming Monday and was to last all week. He was supposed to fly out in the morning (Sunday) but just received word tonight it has been cancelled. He has some colleagues who flew to Denver today and now are scrambling to find flights home tomorrow.

Here is the bulletin from their website:

It is with deep regret that we are informing you of the cancellation of the 2020 APS March Meeting in Denver, Colorado. APS leadership has been monitoring the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) constantly. The decision to cancel was based on the latest scientific data being reported, and the fact that a large number of attendees at this meeting are coming from outside the US, including countries where the CDC upgraded its warning to level 3 as recently as Saturday, February 29.

Please wait for APS staff to be in touch with you in order to arrange for a full refund of your registration fees. The situation with hotels is more complicated, and we ask your forbearance as APS looks into what is possible regarding hotel cancellation fees. Please check the March Meeting website in several days or a week for further information.

We recognize that the timing of this decision has significantly inconvenienced many of you. However, this decision was made out of deep concern for the health and well-being of our registrants, staff, vendors, and the Denver community.

[dalton99a]

1. More to come. Major scientific conventions in the U.S. have a large number of foreign attendees

[Demovictory9]

2. facebook conf cancelled

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Facebook-coronavirus-San-Francisco-conference-Bay-15058989.php

[Tanuki]

3. I would imagine that many foreign attendees have already arrived in Denver

or at least are in transit. Interesting turn of events...thanks for sharibg.

[lunatica]

4. Before I retired I used to process travel reimbursements

for the research travel of Professors and students in UC Berkeley. Our unit processed hundreds of them every month to every imaginable destination. This COVIT virus is putting a temporary stop to all the international trips. What a mess. Lots of businesses are affected, like hotels and, of course all industries involved in travel.

[Mrs. Overall]

8. I have been thinking what a nightmare it must be for those who organize travel

and arrangements on all ends of conferences like this. Yes, such a mess.

My relative is at UC Berkeley!

[canetoad]

5. In conversation with a friend this morning

We discussed the possibility of the Tokyo Olympics being cancelled. There are no options for delaying (weather, athlete preparedness), no options for a do-over in four years - cities are chosen twelve years in advance and preparations are underway.

This could cost Japan and the global economy billions on top of everything else.

Edit to clarify: I'm not counting lives and misery in dollar terms, rather the increase in disruption, misery and mayhem that this virus is causing.

[drray23]

6. I am in the organizing committee of one physics conference

That is supposed to start this coming wednesday in Virginia. We are not yet sure if it wont be canceled at the last minute. We are monitoring the situation and getting updates from the DOE .

[JHB]

7. APS is the American Physical Society

Yes, it's physicists, but the name dates back to the turn of the century (19th to 20th, that is), so it's not as intuitive as it once may have been.

[Mrs. Overall]

9. Yes, you are right. I was incorrect calling it the American Physicists Society.

I also should have stated that it is a conference and not a convention.

It was late at night.