Covid Policy Update 2023

[Nemra]

The Anime Boston executive board has spent significant time monitoring the situation to determine our best course of action to not only ensure that our staff and attendees are safe, but that Anime Boston continues to be financially stable so that we can continue to exist. This process has never been one that we’ve taken lightly and it has been difficult to balance all considerations for this policy. This final and most recent decision was made over the course of a two week long process, where information was presented and intensely debated.

At the time of our first covid policy announcement for Anime Boston 2023, the bivalent booster was just released. We were initially satisfied to be taking a stand with our requirement of the bivalent booster this year, expecting to see more people embrace this new booster. At this time, we’ve observed that Massachusetts has a less than 30% adoption rate, with the majority above our demographic range, according to the CDC’s website. This severely limits the amount of people that would be able to attend Anime Boston 2023, so we need to make a compromise with the state of the world.

Anime Boston 2023’s policy going forward will be:

“All persons, including but not limited to attendees, exhibitors, guests, and staff, that are 6 years old or older, entering the Hynes Convention Center as well as the Sheraton spaces for Anime Boston must show proof of vaccination. Proof of vaccination must show you have completed your primary doses no later than two weeks prior to the start of the convention. Masks will continue to be highly encouraged, but will not be required.”

Evaluating the mask discussion, we announced in November that we would strongly encourage, but not require them. We have revisited this topic several times since. However, we found ourselves in a position where, even if we required masks, we would lack sufficient staff levels to adequately enforce such a policy. This staff shortfall is the result of multiple factors, potentially including but not limited to, the evolving attitude on masks, vaccines, and the endemic nature of Covid, changes to the volunteering environment due to socioeconomic restrictions, and a general shift to other interests during the pandemic. An upcoming announcement in May to release the federal state of emergency for the country by the President also supports this shift.

We know some people would rather take a “it’s better to try than not to try” approach in regards to a mask requirement. However, we believe that it would be disingenuous to both attendees and staff who would expect full compliance for their own safety and wellbeing. Knowing that we will not be able to meet those expectations, we feel it would be better to be transparent and honest about the realities of the situation, rather than to hope for an outcome that would be extremely unlikely.

We understand that this may put some people in a position they are not comfortable with, but we also understand that we in no way, are able to make everyone happy. We can only do the best we can with the information provided to us by people such as our staff, the CDC, and our everyday lives. We will continue to recommend that everyone decide what is best for them at this time. We do not anticipate this policy changing again prior to the start of the convention this year, however we will continue to monitor the situation for the next two weeks as we approach the deadline for our mask threshold.

If you have any questions regarding this covid policy, please reach out to our registration customer service team and they will be able to assist you.

Thank you for your understanding.

[waynoinsano]

So reading that it seems that the booster requirement was removed? I got the vax before last year to get in and reading the wording that is sufficient for entry?

[Kalyoth]

Thanks to Nemra & everyone for their hard work in adding finality to the policy ~45 days prior to the convention. Regardless of the direction it went, it settles a stressful barrier for final decision making as part of the preparation process. Here's to hoping it spurs additional prereg numbers as we all can acknowledge that nothing happens without the rent getting paid...

[Nemra]

So reading that it seems that the booster requirement was removed? I got the vax before last year to get in and reading the wording that is sufficient for entry?

correct

[waynoinsano]

So reading that it seems that the booster requirement was removed? I got the vax before last year to get in and reading the wording that is sufficient for entry?

correct

Thanks for making the right decision. The nursing home my wife works in doesn't even have a booster mandate and it was silly for a con to have more restrictions than a health and human services facility.

[InuMiroLover]

I was already lukewarm on getting yet another booster anyway, and if AB isn't going to require it, then Im not going for it. Im fine with wearing my masks at the con, and those who dont? Well that's their choice to make, not mine.

[Goldfish221]

Fully support the new update.

One thought I had and it would be for fun. Maybe AB can put up posters with A-Chan and B-Kun providing healthy reminders. Like washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough, making sure to sleep, recommending (but not forcing) habits to avoid getting sick etc. Just thought it would be cute.

[Aurabolt]

I hope folks can appreciate the unintended but obvious foreboding about the uncertainty of the convention's future. I know it wasn't intended to sound like this but from how parts of this message were written, it sounds like this could be the last Anime Boston ever held. I hope I'm proven wrong since circumstances prevent me from going to AB this year.

The blunt admittance of a manpower shortage to staff the convention (official staff and volunteers), while understandable doesn't bode well for AB's future. I appreciate the blunt acknowledgement of current realities and I hope everyone does.

One idea to help with the volunteer shortage for next year that could be sufficient could be to offer some free con swag--a T-Shirt or hoodie for example--to those who volunteer. After you complete your volunteer work, you get a voucher to pick it up at the AB Swag booth in the Dealers' Room. Just an idea.

[LadyTuesday]

“We were initially satisfied to be taking a stand with our requirement of the bivalent booster this year, expecting to see more people embrace this new booster. At this time, we’ve observed that Massachusetts has a less than 30% adoption rate, with the majority above our demographic range, according to the CDC’s website. This severely limits the amount of people that would be able to attend Anime Boston 2023, so we need to make a compromise with the state of the world.”

I personally would 1) love to know what their demographic range is and 2) understanding that this part of the statement is using bivalent adoption rate data to back it up, then why on earth is the regular booster forgone from the policy entirely?

Additionally, how was this data measured against when people received their primary series? In plain terms, a viral vaccine you got, say shortly after the primary series was first released at the end of 2020, so maybe summer 2021, would not even be close to adequate coverage, or even bottom of the barrel coverage now.
Here is a presentation put together by the CDC in November 2021 that already showed the waning protection of the primary series in terms of offering protection. Afain, November 2021, so understand this data is even more out of data given how covid has changed and evolved to evade primary series protection.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meeti ... r-508.pdf
Also some information from the WHO on effectiveness of viral variants with the primary covid vaccines: https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-s ... 9-vaccines
This article from NYP hospitals does a great breakdown of a CDC study (link to article, and the article has a link to the scientific study, but as a warning those are difficult to read): https://healthmatters.nyp.org/how-long- ... nity-last/
Quote from article: “The CDC just published data that shows that getting a Pfizer or Moderna booster after completing a primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series was 90% effective at preventing hospitalizations when Omicron was the dominant variant. In comparison, getting two shots was 57% effective when it had been at least six months past the second shot. “

Which the CDC does define fully vaccinated as “Yes, you are fully vaccinated even if you haven’t gotten your booster yet,” but to be up to date is only accurate if boosted “Yes. You are up to date if you have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC.” I.e.: I am fully vaccinated against the flu from 2021, but I’m only up to date because I get my shot every year as recommended.
(source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nc ... s/faq.html )

Another great source on the definition of effectiveness from the WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-s ... protection


Additionally, and likely the saddest part, is this part of the statement: “However, we found ourselves in a position where, even if we required masks, we would lack sufficient staff levels to adequately enforce such a policy. This staff shortfall is the result of multiple factors, potentially including but not limited to, the evolving attitude on masks, vaccines, and the endemic nature of Covid, changes to the volunteering environment due to socioeconomic restrictions, and a general shift to other interests during the pandemic. An upcoming announcement in May to release the federal state of emergency for the country by the President also supports this shift.”

Focusing on the first part of this statement, it admits to not being able to support adequate policy because of how COVID has changed things in terms of socio economics. People can’t afford to travel as much, can’t afford to volunteer. And then we get to the second part of the statement which addresses the nationwide policy shifts to forgo covid protections and the President’s administration stating they will end the national emergency in May. Is not, the administration’s response, that “covid is over,” that protections are being lifted and taken away, not the very reason WHY we find ourselves in the situation where a convention is still having to make a statement/policy on covid literally 3 years later?
Even with cases entering a decline, it is not a “controlled” decline, which is a key difference between a viral “pandemic” and something being endemic.

Additionally, let us not forget that we are on the tail end, but still well within, a cold/flu season with NOTABLE cases of the flu and RSV.
Time magazine article from Nov 2022 on why masks still matter: https://time.com/6232830/why-masks-stil ... -covid-19/
CNBC (eh) article on masking: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/05/cdc-enc ... u-rsv.html

And yes, while COVID today is certainly not as bad as 2020, 2021, etc, again, the consensus is covid isn’t “over” yet- merely entering a transition phase, and that protections are still KEY in truly pushing this virus into its endemic phase.
Quote from WHO article after their International Health Regulations Emergency committee met on Jan 30 2023, “Yet, Committee Members expressed concern about the ongoing risk posed by COVID-19, with a still high number of deaths compared to other respiratory infectious diseases, the insufficient vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries, as well as in the highest-risk groups globally, and the uncertainty associated with emerging variants.” (source: https://www.who.int/news/item/30-01-202 ... )-pandemic)

Here is an article with a great take on this WHO statement: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00294-9
“In particular, how the WHO labels the outbreak is important as a cue for the global community, Karim says. “What signal is it sending to the international air travel agency? What signal is it sending to researchers, to manufacturers and investigators developing new drugs and new vaccines?”
That’s why some researchers think it isn’t yet time to lift the PHEIC. “Declaring the public-health emergency over would give governments and some public-health agencies permission to look away and move on to other things,” says Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, UK. “It remains a very significant public-health problem. About a quarter of the world is still unvaccinated, and that’s potentially a lot of vulnerable people.”

All this aside, I don’t even have the energy to get into how it would be a MUCH better policy to focus on masking and forgo the vaccine portion. For a workplace where you go every day, or a hospital? That kind of policy where you have long term exposure wouldn’t fly, but for a limited time event, masking is more important.
Here is a great guide on masks (what different types do, how to ensure proper fit, etc): https://www.microcovid.org/blog/masks?f ... r-lOIJjuOM
Medical study, led by CDC, on why masking is the most important part in reducing virus TRANSMISSION. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7883189/ Again, TRANSMISSION is the key word- vaccines reduce severity of disease and viral shedding, which yes, contributes to spread, but for a short term event like AB, air transmission will be the greatest threat.

Bottom line, AB is a business. And businesses need to make money (even nonprofit ones). And it’s the profit now vs longevity of health that has AB, the country, and literally the world, in this predicament 3 years later.
Saddening to see such a statement from an organization that was previously so community/safe space oriented. Definitely seeing how the above take of "maybe this is the last AB" could be true. I know I am a drop in the bucket, I know 99.99% of anyone reading this still won’t care, but I cannot, and will not, support an organization that thinks it’s OK to pride themselves on being an inclusive family and still make statements like this. It’s the first step in laying the groundwork for intolerance and inequity of disabled/immuno-compromised people who are adversely affected by this poorly written policy, which definitely can be seen already happening in some of the, though select few, extreme attitudes seen by some of the "community."

[Ariandante]

Fully support the new update.

One thought I had and it would be for fun. Maybe AB can put up posters with A-Chan and B-Kun providing healthy reminders. Like washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough, making sure to sleep, recommending (but not forcing) habits to avoid getting sick etc. Just thought it would be cute.

This ^^

[drew1drew1]

PAX East is an event in the same city two weeks before Anime Boston. Some years, they have well over double the attendance of Anime Boston. PAX East is also staffed by volunteers, and they are able to have a mask requirement.

[BreadCosplay]

I think people dogging on staff for the lack of mask requirement due to staffing shortage need to look at Katsucon that happened recently. It had a mask mandate and yet they were absolutely unable to enforce it despite staffing being adequate. I'd rather AB be transparent in the reality of the situation than to try to pretend like trying to enforce a mask mandate would do any good at a con that broke insane records in attendance last year.

PAX East is an event in the same city two weeks before Anime Boston. Some years, they have well over double the attendance of Anime Boston. PAX East is also staffed by volunteers, and they are able to have a mask requirement.

PAX is absolutely on a larger scale than Anime Boston among other details. The two conventions and organizations are nowhere near the same level of staffing/assistance/organization and management. Even then last year at PAX East there was a COVID outbreak that resulted in the death of a staff member despite there being both a mask mandate and a vaccination requirement. The mask requirement was there, sure, but was it enforced effectively?

COVID mandates and precautions are very much faith based unless they're enforced by the state. Vaccination proof can always be forged or faked and not everyone's going to be wearing their mask at all times despite a mandate being in place. I've yet to see a convention with volunteer staff that isn't assisted directly by the city or government with a truly 100% affective COVID mandate in place, mask or vaccine.

Anyways, I applaud AB staff seriously for the transparency and their clarification related to the policy, and I don't buy the whole "this is the last AB" mantra whatsoever. Staff is getting used to handling larger amounts of guests and attendees, and I'll have no issue accompanying them while they ease into this new era of popularity.

[jmckenna15]

Fully support the new update.

One thought I had and it would be for fun. Maybe AB can put up posters with A-Chan and B-Kun providing healthy reminders. Like washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough, making sure to sleep, recommending (but not forcing) habits to avoid getting sick etc. Just thought it would be cute.

They used to have that in the program books about how much sleep to get and how you need to have 2 meals and take 1 shower each day to stay healthy. Helpful but also hilarious that people needed to be reminded to practice what seems like basic self care lol

[jmckenna15]

I hope folks can appreciate the unintended but obvious foreboding about the uncertainty of the convention's future. I know it wasn't intended to sound like this but from how parts of this message were written, it sounds like this could be the last Anime Boston ever held. I hope I'm proven wrong since circumstances prevent me from going to AB this year.

The blunt admittance of a manpower shortage to staff the convention (official staff and volunteers), while understandable doesn't bode well for AB's future. I appreciate the blunt acknowledgement of current realities and I hope everyone does.

One idea to help with the volunteer shortage for next year that could be sufficient could be to offer some free con swag--a T-Shirt or hoodie for example--to those who volunteer. After you complete your volunteer work, you get a voucher to pick it up at the AB Swag booth in the Dealers' Room. Just an idea.

I'd be shocked if it disappeared after this year. It's made it through a pandemic and the 2008/09 recession in tact. Just might be a temporary thing.

[jmckenna15]

I think people dogging on staff for the lack of mask requirement due to staffing shortage need to look at Katsucon that happened recently. It had a mask mandate and yet they were absolutely unable to enforce it despite staffing being adequate. I'd rather AB be transparent in the reality of the situation than to try to pretend like trying to enforce a mask mandate would do any good at a con that broke insane records in attendance last year.

PAX East is an event in the same city two weeks before Anime Boston. Some years, they have well over double the attendance of Anime Boston. PAX East is also staffed by volunteers, and they are able to have a mask requirement.

PAX is absolutely on a larger scale than Anime Boston among other details. The two conventions and organizations are nowhere near the same level of staffing/assistance/organization and management. Even then last year at PAX East there was a COVID outbreak that resulted in the death of a staff member despite there being both a mask mandate and a vaccination requirement. The mask requirement was there, sure, but was it enforced effectively?

COVID mandates and precautions are very much faith based unless they're enforced by the state. Vaccination proof can always be forged or faked and not everyone's going to be wearing their mask at all times despite a mandate being in place. I've yet to see a convention with volunteer staff that isn't assisted directly by the city or government with a truly 100% affective COVID mandate in place, mask or vaccine.

Anyways, I applaud AB staff seriously for the transparency and their clarification related to the policy, and I don't buy the whole "this is the last AB" mantra whatsoever. Staff is getting used to handling larger amounts of guests and attendees, and I'll have no issue accompanying them while they ease into this new era of popularity.

Also you're dealing with a society that has gone over a YEAR without needing to wear a mask anywhere. It's been a personal choice that some continue to make and there has been no real major wave during that whole time. Conventions that still try and enforce mask mandates are increasingly out of sync with where society is in regards to the illness and it's acceptance of it as just another fact of life. Its especially true when you're dealing with a demographic that isn't considered majorly at risk of severe complications from the virus.

People that feel more comfortable should still wear masks and that's pretty protective by itself. As long as conditions remain sanitary, most people will be pretty happy with making it a voluntary rule.

[waynoinsano]

I hope folks can appreciate the unintended but obvious foreboding about the uncertainty of the convention's future. I know it wasn't intended to sound like this but from how parts of this message were written, it sounds like this could be the last Anime Boston ever held. I hope I'm proven wrong since circumstances prevent me from going to AB this year.

The blunt admittance of a manpower shortage to staff the convention (official staff and volunteers), while understandable doesn't bode well for AB's future. I appreciate the blunt acknowledgement of current realities and I hope everyone does.

One idea to help with the volunteer shortage for next year that could be sufficient could be to offer some free con swag--a T-Shirt or hoodie for example--to those who volunteer. After you complete your volunteer work, you get a voucher to pick it up at the AB Swag booth in the Dealers' Room. Just an idea.

I bet their staff levels and the 30% adoption rate of the booster go hand in hand. They might get more past and new volunteers now that it's now required

[Nemra]

so a few points to make here:

PAX East is an event in the same city two weeks before Anime Boston. Some years, they have well over double the attendance of Anime Boston. PAX East is also staffed by volunteers, and they are able to have a mask requirement.

We're comparing apples to oranges on both statements here. PAX uses turnstile attendance while we use unique. This means that if someone purchased a weekend membership at PAX, they count three times, one for each day, while someone who also purchases a weekend membership at AB would only count once. While PAX also does utilize volunteers, they are a for-profit convention that does have paid employees managing and organizing the convention. AB is volunteer run from top to bottom, including myself. If PAX East ends, there are still other PAX events across the country and AB only exists here. The only similarity between AB and PAX East, besides an overlapping population, is that they're both found in Boston.

it sounds like this could be the last Anime Boston ever held.

I want to be clear about this as it was mentioned a few years back by my predecessor on a similar but different topic when the longevity of the convention was questioned in 2016. It is a long read but the most relevant to the comment here is this:

.... If you can't get the numbers to pay the bills, that's the end of you. Even for Anime Boston, there's a period every year (usually Saturday of the con) where we officially sell the final membership we need to break even. Everything after that is gravy. But until we make that sale we're holding our breath.

To put it simply, it is not a unique situation that is happening from a post-2020 era. It has and always will be a balancing act.

I'd also like to point out that we're combining two different statements here. One is about keeping finances in mind and how decisions of the convention can impact it, while the other is about the ability to enforce a requirement with lower staffing numbers than is needed to enforce. While staffing numbers are not to maximum compared to pre-2020 levels, we are still good for the operation of the convention.

One idea to help with the volunteer shortage for next year that could be sufficient could be to offer some free con swag--a T-Shirt or hoodie for example--to those who volunteer. After you complete your volunteer work, you get a voucher to pick it up at the AB Swag booth in the Dealers' Room. Just an idea.

Staff benefits include free convention membership, free shared hotel room space from Thursday night to Monday morning, free Staff shirt, and a free lunch and dinner stipend.

[KiwiKei]

Thank you for the update.
I thought that's what the orginal rule was... because the CDC considers "up to date" as just having your primary shots, boosters not needed. So it was really unclear in the first rule that Anime Boston was requiring 2 boosters. But thank you for making it clearer.

[Beagall]

Fully support the new update.

One thought I had and it would be for fun. Maybe AB can put up posters with A-Chan and B-Kun providing healthy reminders. Like washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough, making sure to sleep, recommending (but not forcing) habits to avoid getting sick etc. Just thought it would be cute.

Agreed, this sounds like it would be cool. Or maybe include hygiene reminders in the Con Chowdah since I believe that it was previously mentioned it was separate from the program books and would still be available for free.

One idea to help with the volunteer shortage for next year that could be sufficient could be to offer some free con swag--a T-Shirt or hoodie for example--to those who volunteer. After you complete your volunteer work, you get a voucher to pick it up at the AB Swag booth in the Dealers' Room. Just an idea.

This is pretty close to how Support Squad gives out rewards. They give you one item of con swag (not a voucher) and a gift card to a nearby restaurant for every 4 hours of volunteering.

[LadyTuesday]

I know I am a drop in the bucket, I know 99.99% of anyone reading this still won’t care, but I cannot, and will not, support an organization that thinks it’s OK to pride themselves on being an inclusive family and still make statements like this. It’s the first step in laying the groundwork for intolerance and inequity of disabled/immuno-compromised people who are adversely affected by this poorly written policy, which definitely can be seen already happening in some of the, though select few, extreme attitudes seen by some of the "community."

Disappointingly enough, there are now replies to the twitter thread announcement, such as, "Wooo! Down with the woke. Haha! Thank you Boston now I plan to attend. Lets get back to normal," which are the unfortunate example as how policies such as this is how intolerant and hateful environments begin.

AB staff, what plans in place are there to moderate such responses?

[waynoinsano]

If someone feels unsafe it they can take any steps they feel they need to feel safer. No one is stopping them from masking or getting a shot, heck someone can go buy a hazmat suit to walk around in for all I care. If some is immunocompromised they are responsible for their own safety and unfortunately being around thousands of people during flu season isn't for them. It isn't AB fault that their con being Winter/Spring coincides with when most people get sick. It is unfair to accuse them of intolerance it is impossible for them to make policy that covers every single person's possible issues. Remember your own health and safety is your own responsibility.

[LadyTuesday]

If someone feels unsafe it they can take any steps they feel they need to feel safer. No one is stopping them from masking or getting a shot, heck someone can go buy a hazmat suit to walk around in for all I care. If some is immunocompromised they are responsible for their own safety and unfortunately being around thousands of people during flu season isn't for them. It isn't AB fault that their con being Winter/Spring coincides with when most people get sick. It is unfair to accuse them of intolerance it is impossible for them to make policy that covers every single person's possible issues. Remember your own health and safety is your own responsibility.

These are excellent points- it's not AB's job to create an environment that caters to everyone's health issues, 100%. But the way the policy is worded seems to do itself a disservice, when in reality it's more of a lifting of any protections at all (working on the assumption that most got their primary series in summer 2021). Stepping away immunocompromised folk here, but the fact that COVID is even still a talking point in 2023 and a concern comes from policies such as this. It's still at a pandemic level and will never be able to reach endemic level at this rate. Masking for an event, not even requiring vaccines at all, would be a policy much more in line with WHO recos.

And on the social side, it allows for an environment on inequity, intolerance, and hate, which is something I think we can all agree no one wants more of.
Sad to start seeing some posts exactly to that effect

[InuMiroLover]

If someone feels unsafe it they can take any steps they feel they need to feel safer. No one is stopping them from masking or getting a shot, heck someone can go buy a hazmat suit to walk around in for all I care. If some is immunocompromised they are responsible for their own safety and unfortunately being around thousands of people during flu season isn't for them. It isn't AB fault that their con being Winter/Spring coincides with when most people get sick. It is unfair to accuse them of intolerance it is impossible for them to make policy that covers every single person's possible issues. Remember your own health and safety is your own responsibility.

I agree with this completely. I 100% understand the folks that do have health concerns and I in no way am going to say "well if you're so afraid of getting sick then just stay home!" If you have health issues, but still want to enjoy the con then please enjoy the con to the fullest. And while you are enjoying the con, please be aware that you need to be on top of your medical needs. And this goes for anyone regardless of your personal health situation. Wash your hands! Get plenty of rest! Drink water! If you're on meds, take them! Monitor your health up to the con and if your body is coming down with something that isnt going to go away by con time, then stay your butt home and take care of yourself! If you are immune-compromised, I am sure that you take proper steps to keep yourself well on a day to day basis. I would hope that that does not go out the window come con time!

I still plan on masking up for the con for my own personal benefit. I havent gotten the con crud ever since cons started reopening and its great! Would it be great if more people kept their masks on? Yeah but Im not out here demanding it, especially since in my area particularly, people still wearing masks is becoming far less common than it was a year ago. I gotta look out for me.

[Kalyoth]

I know I am a drop in the bucket, I know 99.99% of anyone reading this still won’t care, but I cannot, and will not, support an organization that thinks it’s OK to pride themselves on being an inclusive family and still make statements like this. It’s the first step in laying the groundwork for intolerance and inequity of disabled/immuno-compromised people who are adversely affected by this poorly written policy, which definitely can be seen already happening in some of the, though select few, extreme attitudes seen by some of the "community."

Disappointingly enough, there are now replies to the twitter thread announcement, such as, "Wooo! Down with the woke. Haha! Thank you Boston now I plan to attend. Lets get back to normal," which are the unfortunate example as how policies such as this is how intolerant and hateful environments begin.

AB staff, what plans in place are there to moderate such responses?

To the extent possible - unless it becomes more than 1 poster, speaking stronger than that, directly to an individual, it's protected on the platform as ordinary speech same as the opposite side reacting negatively about the changes to the policy & wanted more regulation. If it expands from 1 user, I'd grow more concerned myself. However, as was in the announcement - it's either make people happy & have no con based upon the public or have less & try to have a con with more people. In the end, it has to sustain the costs or it ends. We all want the con - even after 15 attendances it is new each year for me. But, we need to as best & far as possible keep it civil & openly acceptable. What we can't do is keep stirring the pot over everything & playing the what if game.

Let's just have a con.

[Nemra]

LadyTuesday can speak her piece just as everyone has for the past two years when they were dissatisfied with our policy. I've already banned several people from our platforms, and hidden plenty more when things start getting out of line and will continue to do so even on this post.

Just as in other posts, if it starts getting out of line, I have absolutely no issue deleting all posts and locking the thread from further comments.

[LadyTuesday]

LadyTuesday can speak her piece just as everyone has for the past two years when they were dissatisfied with our policy. I've already banned several people from our platforms, and hidden plenty more when things start getting out of line and will continue to do so even on this post.

Just as in other posts, if it starts getting out of line, I have absolutely no issue deleting all posts and locking the thread from further comments.

So appreciated Nemra! Thank you for cultivating and protecting an open conversation platform.

I work in healthcare data trending, so I very much lean into the details. Just sharing that piece of it.

[Kalyoth]

LadyTuesday can speak her piece just as everyone has for the past two years when they were dissatisfied with our policy. I've already banned several people from our platforms, and hidden plenty more when things start getting out of line and will continue to do so even on this post.

Just as in other posts, if it starts getting out of line, I have absolutely no issue deleting all posts and locking the thread from further comments.

Hi - not looking to silence anyone. Just reacting to what I have seen actively posting & you must work quick since I only see 1 opinion expressing one side & then multiple on the other side expressing theirs. I can only react to what I've seen making it to the public side of posting. Of course, unless there are places & comments beyond those on the home page, overall we have talked more about it here than any other place on the internet. So in the grand scheme, we are not even a statistic in the conversation. Here's to hoping when we get there, the con still rolls forward ^^ The financial nature worries me more than a poke or not at this point.

[Mira64]

If City of Boston and Massachusetts Convention Center Authority lifted Covid vaccine mandate for all indoor spaces on February 18, 2022, and also, per CDC vaccine DOES NOT prevent transmission why are you mandating it? Your Covid policy is very outdated and out of place completely. It goes against all latest data and research on transmissibility of Covid. It is unscientific and your explanation does not make sense at all! Why are you requiring the primary dose of the outdated vaccine that was made for the variant that circulated 3 years ago? It looks like your Covid policy is nothing to do with health matters but false believes and lack of understanding how this vaccine works. If people want to get a vaccine because they believe that it reduces the severity of the disease, then it is their personal choice and it is not to anyone to judge them.
I want to remind you and everyone else in this thread that most people (vaccinated or not) had been infected with Covid already independent of their vaccination status. And painting unvaccinated as a boogeyman who transmit Covid and also your discrimination based on vaccination status is plain WRONG. I personally had been vaccinated and got Covid anyway as most of my coworkers. I am advocating for some of my friends and their kids who are unvaccinated and can't attend the convention because of this arbitrary and senseless policy. Very disappointed with luck of reasoning behind your policy and hope more people will speak up!