Conference and COVID-19 Update

Conference and COVID-19 Update

March 16, 2020
In light of the COVD-19 pandemic, travel restrictions imposed by our member institutions, and out of an abundance of concern for our presenters and attendees, the Western Psychological Association will be postponing the 2020 Annual Conference until Fall 2020. Further details will be forthcoming in the next few days as contracts are revised and finalized. New acceptance notices with the revised presentation dates will also be issued at this time.

If you made reservations at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco for the conference, you will need to cancel these reservations with the hotel directly. New reservations will need to be made with the hotel once the new dates are finalized and a new link is posted to the website. All registrations and accepted presentations will remain intact. However, should you wish to withdraw your presentations and/or request a refund, we ask that you contact us after April 15th, 2020. If you have already contacted us for a refund, please email again after April 15th to request a refund.

We have a tremendous number of activities planned for our centennial celebration and hope that you are still able to join us.

Conference and COVID-19 Update

March 6, 2020

The 100th anniversary of WPA will take place in early May, in San Francisco, and we are fully committed to the preparation and delivery of an outstanding celebration of this special event.

However, we are well aware of the current concerns about a new respiratory illness, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the question about whether this will affect the convention. We understand those concerns, and we are monitoring the situation closely, and will remain in contact with both local and national health authorities. San Francisco has taken the lead in securing additional funding for public health resources to respond effectively to any future outbreak, if needed.

Our priority, and that of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, is the safety of all conference participants. Therefore, we will utilize the guidance of leading health experts to put in place measures to deliver a safe and healthy environment at the time of our conference. Currently, the US Surgeon General has stated that the best way to protect against the virus is to wash hands regularly and to stay home if feeling ill. The minority of people who are most at risk are usually elderly or already experiencing poor health. The Surgeon General has also stated that facemasks should only be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, and shortness of breath), or by health workers and caretakers who are taking care of patients, and has urged the public to stop buying masks for themselves if they are well. For more information about the coronavirus, please visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

We hope that everyone will be following these guidelines during the next few months, and doing their best to keep themselves and others as healthy as possible. Once May arrives, we look forward to welcoming all of you to San Francisco for a very special party! Many thanks to all of our sponsors, speakers, partners and attendees for their continued support, and for the unprecedented high interest in our 100th anniversary WPA conference.