CUNA GAC Must 'Pivot Again' as Vaccine Requirements Dropped
CUNA officials clarify what to expect at GAC as vaccine and mask rules change in Washington, D.C.
Less than two weeks before the start of CUNA’s GAC, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday the city dropped its requirement for people to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter venues and most businesses within the city limits.
The abrupt change in vaccination policy resulted in CUNA calling a press conference Tuesday to try and clear up any confusion about what this means for the thousands traveling to D.C. for GAC, which runs Feb. 27 through March 3.
“So what that means for those attending the GAC, they’re no longer going to be required to complete the Safe Expo verification process that we had in place and the [Walter E. Washington] Convention Center will not be requiring any of the attendees to verify their vaccine status before or to get into the convention center,” CUNA EVP and Chief Products and Services Officer Todd Spiczenski said.
D.C. Mayor Bowser also announced this week that the city’s mask mandate will be lifted beginning March 1.
Spiczenski said it is unclear if GAC attendees will be required to wear masks even after the mask mandate has expired, since individual businesses and venues could still require masks to enter. “We are still awaiting word from the convention center,” Spiczenski said.
Less than two months ago, after D.C. city leaders announced the citywide vaccine mandate, CUNA announced the vaccine requirement to attend this year’s GAC. Spiczenski said he understands the confusion and possible frustration caused by the fluctuating rules.
“We need to roll with it and roll with the punches,” he said.
CUNA hired a third-party vendor to take care of the vaccine mandate monitoring at the convention center. Since that service is no longer needed, Spiczenski said CUNA will still leverage the Safe Expo vendor to provide onsite COVID-19 testing should attendees need that service.
CUNA has updated the GAC Health and Safety Guidelines on its website. Spiczenski said while the timing of the new health guidance might encourage others to register for the conference, it is another example of how difficult planning life and events have been for the past two years.
“As far as the timing of it, obviously it forces us to, you know, pivot again,” he said. “But from that standpoint, based on what we’re hearing from our attendees, they understand the scenario we’ve been dealing with – all of us have been dealing with these scenarios for the last two years, and it actually should make it easier for attendees to get it in and out of the convention center now.”
To be on the safe side, Spiczenski encouraged all those attending GAC to bring a physical or digital copy of proof of vaccination since some businesses may still require people to have that documentation on hand.
According to the Health and Safety Protocols at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, it appears all cleaning and disinfection of the building will continue by convention center staff.