Dear colleagues,

The 23rd ICRAV in Hong Kong will be further postponed to no earlier than September 2023, and the exact date will be announced later due to the unpredictable development of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since our last communication in April 2021, the Organising Committee has been actively preparing for the rescheduled conference but at the same time keeping an eye on the development of the coronavirus pandemic worldwide. In Hong Kong, the public health status is indeed quite contained, and almost 70 % of the population has been vaccinated with the second dose. In the past 28 days, all reported COVID-19 cases were imported. However, the recent emergence of the Omicron variant has led to a further strengthening of travel restrictions and quarantine measures in Hong Kong and elsewhere. Such restrictions and measures would undoubtedly prevent many interested delegates from making arrangements to visit Hong Kong in September 2022. In addition, it can be expected that the inbound quarantine requirements in Hong Kong (and many other places) will likely be maintained for quite some time.

Considering the current situation, the ICRAV Standing Committee, Management Committee and Organising Committee have unanimously decided to further postpone the 23rd ICRAV to September / October 2023, or even to early 2024, subject to the development of the pandemic situation. This is a very difficult decision, and while we know it is disappointing, the safety and health of our delegates are our utmost concern. We sincerely look for your understanding that the Committees are taking all possible steps to ensure all our members, guests, delegates and sponsors are well protected, including inevitably having to further postpone the conference.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused resulting from this further postponement. The Organising Committee will continue to monitor the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and explore alternatives to continue the sharing o information. We hope the pandemic can be resolved soon and that we can meet in person in the near future.

We wish you and your loved ones good health and a happy new year!

Kind Regards,
Emmie HO