The 16th ITC has been postponed for now.
The global spread of the COVID-19 virus continues unabated. Our sister societies, their members, and our nations are all suffering catastrophic health impacts, severe financial consequences, travel restrictions, and schedule disruptions. Moreover, we all face an uncertain future with respect to recovery from this pandemic.
We all sincerely wish the 16th ITC to be held at a time that there may be a healthier and safer environment, financial recovery, lifting of travel restrictions, and less competing pressures on the schedules of our members. When recovery has occurred globally a greater number of individuals may be able to attend, thus contributing to a more robust, vibrant, and successful ITC.
A decision about the best time for a rescheduled ITC will be delayed for as long as is needed to fully ascertain the situation. It is our hope that with additional delay more information about the trajectory of the pandemic may become available. It may then be possible to make a decision based on a greater amount of reliable information. We do not wish to prematurely re-schedule the ITC for a time that AOTA, ETA, LATS, and ATA members will not be in a position to fully support the Congress.
We apologize about this delayed decision and appreciate that it does add to the uncertainty experienced by our international thyroid community. We all miss the opportunity to be able to engage professionally and personally with our fellow members. We will notify all our sister society members when a decision about the timing of the 16th ITC becomes possible.
We express solidarity with all our society members throughout the world and hope that everyone is staying as safe and as healthy as possible. We look forward to a happier time when this pandemic will no longer cast its shadow over our lives.
Won Bae Kim, Secretary of AOTA Takashi Akamizu, President of AOTA
Leonidas Duntas, Secretary of the ETA Laszlo Hegedüs, President of the ETA
Ana Luiza Maia, President of LATS Claudia Pellizas, Secretary of LATS
Jacqueline Jonklaas, Secretary of the ATA Martha Zeiger, President of the ATA
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