Health and Safety
COVID-19
As of May 11th, 2023, the U.S. will no longer require visitors to be vaccinated for COVID-19 if they wish to enter the country:
We ask conference participants to follow the CDC guidelines if they become infected:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html
Suffice to say, if you become infected just before your trip, you should stay home.
Heat in Texas
Early September is close to the hottest time of year in Houston. The highs are typically in the mid 90s F (mid 30s C), with very high humidity. If you wish to do outdoor exercise, we advise you do so in the early morning and keep hydrated. Feel free to contact Anthony Timmins (atimmins@uh.edu) for more advise, who runs regularly at this time of year.
Health Insurance
We highly recommend those traveling from outside the U.S. to purchase health insurance for the trip to Houston. Houston has some of the best hospitals in the world in the Texas Medical Center, but healthcare costs in the U.S. rest on the individual, hence the need for insurance.
Women's Health
Our visitors who are (or may become) pregnant, should keep themselves aware of the situation in Texas regarding reproductive health care services. At the time of writing, Texas law prohibits abortions, with the exceptions being: a) To save the pregnant person's life, and b) To prevent serious risk to the pregnant person's physical health. It is legal to leave the state to get an abortion. Furthermore, any 'morning after' medication (mifepristone and misoprostol) is only available during the first seven weeks of pregnancy. The Texas Tribune maintains a page dedicated to updates of the situation in Texas. We will also provide accommodations for pregnant women speakers, who wish to give their talk online.