We’ve absolutely loved being able to connect with much of our community again in-person over the past year at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon in Los Angeles and Valencia. We’re looking forward to hopefully seeing even more of you at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2022 in Detroit!
In the interest of keeping our events accessible to as much of the community as possible while still making sure our community is safe and protected, we have updated our Health + Safety policies for the upcoming event in October:
- All attendees must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination OR (1) Negative COVID-19 test to enter the event.
- We will no longer conduct daily temperature checks upon entry for attendees.
- Masks are still required at all times unless actively eating or drinking or in designated areas.
As the pandemic evolves, we want to ensure our protocols do as well. By allowing attendees to provide a negative test result instead of vaccination, we believe it is possible to allow more people the option to participate in person without putting vaccinated participants at additional risk. By removing the daily temperature check, we will reduce check-in time, re-entry lines, and frustrations, as some attendees were stuck in long lines getting into the venue in Valencia, making them late for talks. In all the events the Linux Foundation has held since October 2021, we haven’t identified anyone with a fever via a temperature check, so we feel the impact on health and safety will be minimal, if any.
We’re still looking at safety from a layered approach with input from experts and the community. We know masks are one of the most effective ways to control COVID-19 exposure and risk. This was demonstrated by the mask requirement at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe in Valencia. Over the two weeks immediately after the event (20 May – 3 June), we were made aware of 121 positive tests representing 1.7% of total onsite attendees and we were not made aware of any severe cases. So we are planning to keep the mask mandate for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA, Detroit.
We have socialized these protocols with multiple community groups for feedback, including the CNCF Governing Board and Ambassadors. We held a town hall for the CNCF Governing Board and Ambassadors, then a vote with the Board who approved the changes to the vaccine and temperature check policies with a supermajority.
We also consulted again with Dr. Joel Selanikio, a physician, former CDC epidemiologist and outbreak investigator, and consultant epidemiologist to the DC Department of Health and FEMA for the COVID-19 response over 2020-21, on these changes. Thanks to Dr. Selanikio’s continuous counsel, we have been able to take educated and well-thought-out steps to ensure the safety of our community members as we continue to navigate COVID-19.
Those opting to test instead of showing proof of vaccination must follow the following guidelines:
- The test must be a PCR, NAAT, or Antigen test taken within 24 hours of presenting the test results onsite at the event.
- This test may NOT be an unproctored at-home test. Tests must be administered by a verified provider, either in Detroit (in person or via virtual proctor) or in your home country or a country you transit through.
- The test results must include your name and the date and time of the test.
CNCF will provide free testing on-site, Sunday, October 23 – Friday, October 28 for those needing a negative test to enter the event. These tests can be taken onsite or in your hotel room and are conducted virtually with an approved proctor. In addition, Antigen tests will be available for any attendee that would like to test throughout the week. Additional details will be coming soon.
We’ve heard the community feedback about keeping masks in place and will continue to do so. Masks will be required to be worn at all times, except while:
- Actively eating or drinking,
- Outdoors,
- Or delivering a talk.
- *Note we will not be allowing food & beverage in any session rooms (including keynote rooms and co-located events) to reduce spread.
We know we can’t meet everyone’s comfort level in an unprecedented time in global health. But we’re trying our best to balance the needs of a large and diverse community, and most importantly, to keep attendees safe. We will continue to keep our Health + Safety guidelines updated, as well as add to the FAQ as necessary. If this resource does not answer a question you may have, feel free to reach out to events@cncf.io.
We also understand that not everyone will want or be able to join us in person for a variety of reasons, which is why we are delighted again to offer attendees the ability to attend virtually. We have learned a lot from putting on virtual events and doing everything we can to make sure the virtual experience is enjoyable and educational for attendees. To learn more about the different pass options visit the registration page.