Due to the public health crisis from SARS-CoV-2 and its impact on health systems, international travel, and economies worldwide, the WADEM Congress Committee made the decision to postpone the Tokyo Congress in July 2020. The Congress was originally scheduled for 11-14 May 2021 and, at that time, was rescheduled for 2-6 May 2022. However, by mid-2021 it became more evident that there was still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the ongoing pandemic.
There were, and still are, many countries that have travel restrictions in place, including the host country for the Congress. Even for countries that have relaxed travel restrictions, there are hindrances to travel such as quarantines (mandatory or voluntary), pre-departure COVID tests, COVID tests upon arrival, etc. that could impact the number of delegates who are able to or willing to attend an in-person WADEM Congress.
Furthermore, there is still the possibility of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus emerging that is more transmissible and/or lethal than the Delta variant. With so many uncontrollable variables, the Tokyo Congress has been postponed with a new date still to be determined. Our hope is that the Congress can be convened in Tokyo in the coming years. We are currently exploring some different scenarios to make this happen.
We look forward to welcoming you to Tokyo at that time!