The 2021 Pacific Chapter Meeting of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society scheduled for November 5-7 at the UC San Diego Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Medical Center Drive, La Jolla, CA is still a go! We are watching the impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant within the US and around the world with great interest and we are regularly monitoring US federal government, California state government, and the La Jolla city government COVID-19 websites for changes to travel and group gathering policies/recommendations/restrictions.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL LIVE UHMS MEETINGS
We do not know the COVID-19 vaccination status of any of the registrants and we cannot require all attendees to be vaccinated. UHMS leadership is concerned with meeting attendees' health during and after our meeting and are recommending the following actions during any of the live UHMS meetings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- All attendees wear a protective face covering while inside the meeting venue
- Practice physical distancing during the meeting
- Regularly and thoroughly wash hands or use an alcohol-based hand rub
We are excited about our live-in-person meetings in more than two years. We want everyone in attendance to enjoy the program and social events. We also want to ensure all attendees are protected from the COVID-19 virus. Following the above prevention steps during the meetings will significantly aid in protecting all.
FACE COVERING AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING RECOMMENDATIONS
- Get your COVID-19 vaccine: Get your COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself and others from getting sick. Guidance for fully vaccinated people.
- Wear a face mask in public: Covering your nose and mouth with a face mask greatly reduces your chances of spreading the virus and also provides some protection for you. Use face coverings if you'll be indoors or around other people where social distancing is difficult to maintain. CDC guidance on cloth face coverings.
- Wash your hands frequently: Washing your hands with regular soap and water for at least 20 seconds is effective in stopping the spread of COVID-19. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer liberally. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. More handwashing tips.
- Move at least 6 feet away from others: COVID-19 can spread among people who are in close contact for a prolonged period of time. Avoid public spaces where close contact with others may occur. If you are around other people, stay at least 6 feet away from them. CDC guidance on social distancing.
CALIFORNIA STATE GOVERNMENT COVID INFORMATION:
Dated August 11, 2021:
Thanks to millions of vaccinations, California’s economy is open. There are no county tiers, capacity limits, or physical distancing requirements. But we still need some common-sense safety measures until more people are vaccinated.
On this page:
What to do now
COVID-19 has not gone away. To safely go about our daily lives, we need to continue:
- Vaccinations
- Masking
- Testing if you feel sick
- Other measures to keep ourselves and others safe
Do’s and don’ts for daily life
Restaurants, shopping malls, movie theaters, and most everyday places are open. Protect yourself and others by keeping these common-sense safety steps in mind.
Do
- Get vaccinated
- Wear a mask where required, in public indoor spaces, and on public transit
- Follow safety rules for mega-events
- Get tested if you’re sick
- Honor mask rules in place at a private business
- Get tested if required by your workplace
- Wear a mask when you travel
Don’t
- Lose your proof of vaccination
- Think you can’t get the virus or pass it on because you feel well
- Assume everyone is vaccinated
- Expect all COVID-19 rules everywhere to be lifted
- Travel into the U.S. without proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test
- Travel if you’re sick
Read the CDC’s How to Protect Yourself and Others.
Masks
California has statewide guidelines for wearing masks. Your local area may have more. Check https://covid19.ca.gov/get-local-information/#County-websites">your area’s COVID-19 website.
Masks are still required for everyone in some places, such as:
- Public transit
- Hospitals
- Long-term care facilities
- Adult and senior care facilities
- Correctional facilities
- Homeless shelters, emergency shelters, and cooling centers
- Indoors in K-12 schools, childcare, and other youth settings
In other indoor public settings, masks are required for unvaccinated people and recommended for everyone. Examples:
- Retail
- Restaurants
- Theaters
- Family entertainment centers
- Meetings
- State and local government offices that serve the public
Read more on our https://covid19.ca.gov/masks-and-ppe/">Masks page and CDPH’s Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings.
TRAVEL
California no longer has a travel advisory in effect. There is no state recommendation to test and quarantine before and after travel.
However, the CDC asks that you do the following:
- Delay travel until you’re fully vaccinated
- If you’re not fully vaccinated, but choose to travel, get tested before and after
- No matter your vaccination status, wear a mask while on public transportation or in a transportation hub
Get tested if you feel sick and avoid traveling if you have or may have COVID-19.
For more info, see CDC travel guidelines, the CDPH travel flyerPDF, and the Travel page.
RESTRICTED ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES
As of 13 August 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website titled "Travelers Prevented from Entry into the United States" identifies those countries currently restricted from allowing their citizens from entering the United States due to COVID-19 conditions in those countries (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/from-other-countries.html). With specific exceptions, several Presidential proclamations suspend and limit entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of noncitizens who were physically present within the following countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. For a full list of exceptions, please refer to the relevant proclamations in the links below.
- China
- Iran
- European Schengen area(Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City)
- United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
- Republic of Ireland
- Brazil
- South Africa
- India
As further provided in each proclamation, citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States, certain family members, and other individuals who meet specified exceptions, who have been in one of the countries listed above in the past 14 days will be allowed to enter the United States. More information about what to do after arriving to the United States is available on CDC’s After International Travel webpage.
The US State Department website offers additional details on restricted entry into the United States (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/covid-19-travel-restrictions-and-exceptions.html).
