AWS re:Invent Attendees Must Be Fully Vaccinated, Masked

‘A negative COVID-19 test will not be accepted as a substitution for being fully vaccinated against COVID-19,’ AWS says. ‘There will be no exceptions. Those who cannot comply with the vaccine requirement can join us virtually.’

Amazon Web Services will require attendees at its annual AWS re:Invent 2021 conference in Las Vegas to be fully vaccinated — without exception — and wear masks to protect against COVID-19.

“All attendees are required to comply with the health measures,” AWS said in a post on its re:Invent website. “Signage and additional staffing will be in place to support health measures. Revisions will be made in accordance with guidance from the (U.S.) Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and federal, state and local requirements.”

AWS plans to stage the live re:Invent 2021 conference for partners and customers at multiple Las Vegas venues from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, with a keynote address by new CEO Adam Selipsky. A free virtual version of the conference will run online from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10.

All in-person attendees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to checking in at the event to receive their badges for entrance, according to AWS. The cloud provider will adhere to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) definition of “fully vaccinated,” which is people who’ve had their second doses of a two-dose vaccine (such as the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines) or a single-dose vaccine (such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine) at least two weeks prior to checking into the conference. Attendees checking in on the first day of re:Invent, for example, must have those shots by Nov. 14.

AWS will not make exceptions for those who won’t or can’t get the vaccine for religious or health reasons.

“A negative COVID-19 test will not be accepted as a substitution for being fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” AWS said. “There will be no exceptions. Those who cannot comply with the vaccine requirement can join us virtually.”

Acceptable vaccination records will include attendees’ physical COVID-19 vaccination/immunization cards, a photo of the front and backs of those cards, or a digital verification from a smartphone application. Attendees’ names on their vaccine records must match a government-issued ID.

Those who already registered to attend re:Invent but are not vaccinated or cannot provide records of their vaccinations can request full refunds up until Oct. 29, AWS said.

Every attendee also must wear a mask that meets CDC guidelines or wear a mask provided on-site by AWS. The CDC defines suitable masks as two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric that completely cover one’s nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of their faces. Face shields, bandanas and masks with ventilation will not be allowed, according to AWS, which said attendees can remove their masks while eating or drinking.

In addition to masks for attendees, AWS will make available hand sanitizer throughout the conference spaces. Conference events this year will be held at the Caesars Forum conference, Wynn Las Vegas and the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, and the Venetian Resort and the Palazzo at the Venetian. Social distancing will not be required.

If any attendee tests positive for COVID-19 following re:Invent, AWS advises them to report their diagnosis to their local health authority.

“If a positive COVID-19 diagnosis is disclosed to AWS, contact tracing measures will be completed in partnership with health authorities,” AWS said.

AWS cancelled last year’s in-person re:Invent 2020 in favor of a virtual event due to the coronavirus pandemic.