Covid-19 Policy

We are excited to have a physical meeting for IEEE SP22! We are grateful for the tremendous support provided to SP22. We have about 450+ people registered to participate in the conference in-person so far (05/12)! We have 190 people participating in the workshops in-person! And we have an additional 125+ people participating virtually!

However, we are mindful and cautious as COVID-19 is still here, and the infection numbers have been on an uptick in recent weeks. The safety and well-being of all conference participants is our priority, and we need your help and support. Each of us needs to do our part to help our friends, our collaborators, our colleagues, and members of our community have the wonderful conference experience that we all have been waiting for after two years of virtual conferences. Each of us has a role to play in ensuring that all of our community members can return back healthy to their families and friends. While vaccinations have reduced the severity of COVID-19, even mild COVID-19 can significantly disrupt travel plans as many international airlines do not allow people to board without a negative test. The US CDC recommends people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, who tested positive for COVID-19, or who are waiting for COVID-19 test results, to refrain from traveling domestically.

Keeping this in mind, the following COVID-19 precautions will be in place at IEEE SP22:

Mask Wearing: All conference participants are required to wear masks (preferably N95, KN95, KF94 or equivalent masks) at all times (except when eating, drinking, or giving a talk; it is recommended that poster presenters keep their mask on for their own safety) in all conference meeting rooms and spaces (including break areas, hallways in and around conference areas) and at all conference events. Masks will be available at the registration desk.
Proof of Vaccination and Proof of Testing: We will use CDC’s COVID-19 Community Level Tool for assessing COVID-19 risk and associated precautions. The current COVID-19 Community Level for San Francisco is “MEDIUM”. At this time there is no requirement for proof of vaccination or testing to participate in SP22 in-person. However, we strongly encourage all participants to follow CDC guidelines for the current risk level before traveling to the conference. The guidelines for MEDIUM risk level are as follows:
- If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate precautions
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- Masks are recommended in indoor public transportation settings
COVID-19 Prior to Travel: If you have tested positive for COVID-19 virus prior to the conference, we kindly ask that you refrain from participating in conference activities at the Hyatt until you have a negative viral test or until 10 days after the positive test. We encourage you to continue to participate as a virtual attendee.
COVID-19 Symptoms at Conference: If you experience COVID-19 symptoms during the conference or test positive, please isolate yourself and contact one of the Organizing Committee members (sp22-local@ieee-security.org) to get information on treatment facilities.

In addition to the above precautions, we are working with our Hyatt staff to i) ensure staff interacting with our conference community during break times are masked; ii) hand-sanitizers are available in the break areas; iii) provide seating with reduced density to the extent possible, and iv) distributing posters over a wider area.

With your help and support we can make IEEE SP22 a safe and healthy event for all of us! The organizing team will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and may update this policy. Please continue to watch this page for updates.

Disclaimer: The IEEE SP22 Conference Organizers assume no liability for exposure to COVID-19 by participants. With the support of all of our community members, we can work to reduce the risk of exposure and infection, but we cannot eliminate it. All conference participants assume the risks associated with participation in the conference. Some useful links:

COVID-19 Testing Options:

https://sf.gov/find-out-about-your-covid-19-testing-options

https://datasf.org/covid19-testing-locations/

COVID-19 Numbers in San Francisco:

https://sf.gov/resource/2021/covid-19-data-and-reports