Going to CES 2022? Pack your vaccination card

The Consumer Technology Association announced Tuesday that anyone who wants to attend the 2022 event in Las Vegas will have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to get in. Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, said the organization is doing its part to end the pandemic by requiring this proof.

“Based on today’s science, we understand vaccines offer us the best hope for stopping the spread of COVID-19,” Shapiro said in a press release. “We all play a part in ending the pandemic through encouraging vaccinations and implementing the right safety protocols.”

SEE: How to digitize a COVID-19 vaccine card (TechRepublic)

CES also announced that proof of a positive antibody test may be acceptable as well. This test  shows that a person has contracted the virus previously and has some natural immunity. CES will release more information about antibody tests at a later date. 

CES 2021 was all virtual and the 2022 event will have a virtual component as well.

Gartner Symposium goes all virtual 

Gartner Events announced Tuesday that its October event will be all virtual this year, cancelling plans for an in-person event. A company spokesperson said that the level of uncertainty associated with Delta variant hotspots and transmission rates, along with the travel, operational and safety challenges prevented the company from hosting the IT Symposium in-person. Registered attendees are receiving emails Tuesday with additional details about the change.

Mask and vaccine requirements fluctuate

Nevada reinstated universal mask requirements at the end of July due to rising case rates. Everyone is required to wear a mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status. In January 2021, when CES is traditionally held, case rates in the U.S. were at their peak so far, reaching almost 300,000 per day.

No standard approach to providing proof of vaccination at large events has emerged yet. Black Hat suggested masks for unvaccinated people. DefCon 29 required proof of vaccination for all attendees. HIMSS also required proof of vaccination to attend the health IT’s big annual event the week of Aug. 9 in Las Vegas. Attendees had to bring an ID and complete one of the following options to receive their conference badge:

• CLEAR Health Pass Validation (available for vaccination records from the U.S.)
• Safe Expo Vaccine Concierge Validation
• Safe Expo On-Site Validation

As of Aug. 17, AWS is not requiring proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test to attend re:invent at the end of November.

As Lance Whitney reported for TechRepublic, sales of and ads for fake vaccine cards have been rising on the Dark Web, according to a report from Check Point Research. Previously, the fake certificates were primarily being sold from the U.S., the U.K. and Germany, but the cyber threat intelligence firm said it’s now seeing activity around the world.

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