The largest ever international conference planned for Palau this year, Our Oceans Conference 2020 may go virtual instead of in-person this December, reported President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. at last week’s press conference.
“It may go virtual or hybrid,” stated Remengesau. “Hybrid meaning those who can come, can come and others can participate in virtual format.”
Our Oceans 2020 Conference is scheduled to take place on December 7 and 8.
All the venues and the facilities including the main plenary hall, the Palau National Gym, are completed and ribbon cutting ceremonies for these reformed facilities are planned for next week.
The event which was supposed to host over 500 invited guests, including high level delegations and heads of States has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continuing spikes in COVID-19 virus in many countries around the world and the travel restrictions in Palau and other countries are affecting many people’s decisions to travel here.
Palau’s infectious diseases control protocol requires 14 days quarantine in Palau and in places where there are active cases, 14 days quarantine and testing prior to boarding a plane to Palau is also required. Most of the countries where other participants are expected to come from, have their own quarantine protocol requirements for returning residents.
The number of days required for quarantine and tests to attend a two-day event, have bearingon plans of individuals that originally booked to attend this event.
Nearly $16 million dollars went into the improvements of facilities in preparation for the Our Oceans Conference 2020. Funds were donated by various countries and organizations and are implemented by UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services).
Our Oceans 2020 may go virtual
