Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) - Preparedness

This page was last updated on 7 July 2020

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a global health emergency. While confirmed cases remain concentrated in China and parts of Asia, cases are being increasingly reported in areas of Europe, the United States, and Canada.

Please know we are monitoring conditions daily regarding any potential impact to the ACC community around the world, as this is a rapidly changing situation. Concern for the health and safety of ACC’s members, speakers, sponsors, and staff is of course the top priority.

Upcoming ACC In-Person Education

Please check this page for daily updates on ACC (Headquarters) in-person Education Events. ACC is monitoring federal and international travel restrictions and local, state, or regional decisions to ban meetings in locations hosting ACC events.

2020 ACC Annual Meeting – October 12-16 – IT. WILL. HAPPEN.
- Due to recent spikes in COVID-19 cases and in the interest of attendee safety, ACC made the necessary decision to change course: #ACCAM20 will be 100 percent virtual.
- The biggest meet-up of in-house lawyers in the world is simply too important to cancel!
- These are trying times, but we will continue to get through them together as a community. ACC is here for YOU.
Mini MBA for In-House Counsel – Various Dates and Locations [Boston, MA USA Public Health and Los Angeles, CA USA Public Health]
- All 2020 Mini MBA for In-house Counsel are canceled.
- For questions, please contact execed@bu.edu
After careful consideration of the available information to date, ACC has made the difficult, yet necessary, decision to cancel the following programs:
- Xchange 2020 – April 19-21 | Chicago, IL USA [Chicago Public Health]
- Global General Counsel Summit – June 10-12 | Zurich, Switzerland
- Corporate Counsel University – June 24-26 | Denver, CO USA [Denver Public Health]
- Executive Leadership Institute – July 21-24 | Chicago, IL USA [Chicago Public Health]
- Please visit each program's page or email education@acc.com for additional information.
The following programs are scheduled to proceed as planned, but please check back for updates:
- ACC In-house Counsel Certification Program – August 10-13 | Melbourne, Australia [Victoria Public Health]

Please contact your Chapter for inquiries related to chapter-hosted events. For ACC Foundation events, please visit www.acc-foundation.com.

We are working proactively with all onsite vendors in maintaining all appropriate sanitary, health, and safety measures and encourage attendees to follow guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

This page will have the latest updates from our team. Should there be a need to make any changes to event schedules, we will provide information to members and event registrants via email and social media. We will also share information about virtual options that may be available.

Onsite Precautions

In addition to preparing appropriate contingency plans, ACC is collaborating with our onsite vendors to take all necessary precautions prior to and during all upcoming events. These actions include:

Ensuring event facilities are focused on increasing frequency and thoroughness of cleaning public spaces and reinforcing importance of washing hands with all staff.
Ensuring facilities add hand sanitizing stations in public areas.
Working with facilities to implement Coronavirus Awareness Training or other formal training regimens for their staff.
Working with facilities to update their food display practices to reduce the risk of contamination.
Securing our own supply of hand sanitizer and masks to use onsite.
Developing signage for event spaces to remind all attendees about WHO/CDC recommendations to help maintain vigilance.

Emergency plans have been developed for each of ACC's in-person events and will be communicated to attendees in advance of the event and onsite.

Resources

These legal resources are compiled to help you stay informed on this rapidly evolving situation.

Safe Travel Tips and Advisories

World Health Organization: Travel Advice. Provides travel tips related to COVID-19.
United States Travel Association: Emergency Preparedness and Response: Coronavirus (COVID-19). This toolkit includes guidance for travelers, a guide for communicating healthy travel practices, and other resources.
United States Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs: This COVID-19 emergency notification includes information on travel advisories, safe travel tips, and emergency contact information for citizens in China.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: Preparedness resources for coronavirus. This toolkit provides a number of helpful resources on public health preparedness.
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Information for Travel. This page provides useful tips for travelers, in addition to risk assessments by country.
Australian Government: Department of Health: COVID-19 Resources. A collection of resources which provide travel tips.

Health Information and Alerts

World Health Organization: Rolling Updates. Provides updates on the spread and containment of COVID-19 on a rolling basis.
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provides background on the disease itself and situation updates in the United States
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Provides background on the disease itself and situation updates in the European Union.
Australian Government: Department of Health: COVID-19 Resources. A collection of resources for the general public, health professionals, and industry about coronavirus (COVID-19).
Singapore Government: COVID-19. Provides a number of resources and updates on COVID-19 in Singapore and the region.