The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) said Friday it will require either proof of COVID vaccination or a negative test result to attend its annual meeting this October in Washington, D.C.
AUSA is still planning to move forward with the in-person event, one of the largest defense shows of the year, with the additional measures in place due to the national surge in Delta-variant COVID-19 cases.
“We are excited and looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the in-person AUSA Annual Meeting from 11 – 13 October 2021 and are adapting our plans following recommendations from the convention center, District of Columbia and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The health and safety of attendees, presenters, exhibitors, staff and the local community continue to be our top priorities as we count down to this year’s important event,” event organizers wrote in a statement.
Attendees will be required to upload proof that their COVID-19 vaccination was completed at least 14 days before the event or show documentation of a negative test result within 72 hours of Oct. 11.
AUSA specified that self-tests will not be accepted and a prior COVID-19 diagnosis or antibody tests will not be accepted for entry into the event.
“On-site registration — with the required documentation — will be available but could result in delay. There will be no exceptions to the requirement to be fully vaccinated or have a negative test,” event organizers wrote.
Last week, the Marine Corps announced plans to cancel this month’s Modern Day Marine expo due COVID concerns and will instead hold a new event scheduled for May 10-12, 2022 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. (Defense Daily, Aug. 27).
The Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) also recently announced it has canceled its Aircraft Survivability Equipment Symposium scheduled for Sept. 13-14 in Kissimmee, Fla., due to COVID-19 concerns (Defense Daily, Aug. 19).