sPHENIX is a new detector at RHIC.

[David Morrison <morrison AT bnl.gov>]

Dear sPHENIX collaborators,

It looks like we will have fantastic participation at next week's collaboration meeting!  We have just about 100 registrants, with 60 people planning to attend in person.

The COVID-19 Community Level on Long Island is currently rated "high" by the CDC.  Here's the data: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=New+York&data-type=CommunityLevels&list_select_county=36103&null=CommunityLevels

We had been hoping this might abate, but it has stayed stubbornly at this level since Thanksgiving weekend.  We can meet in person, but masks are required on site when you're inside.  We had these same conditions, more or less, during the last collaboration meeting too.  We'll meet in the Large Seminar Room in Bldg. 510, but we've reserved a couple of other rooms too, in case it seems prudent to spread out a bit.  We'll check with the Lab to see if there are any last minute changes to protocols we need to observe.

We'll meet in the lobby outside the Large Seminar Room on Monday morning.  We've arranged for coffee and pastries to be available that morning to fuel the lively discussions we're likely to have!

One casualty of the COVID situation is that the ALD has strongly advised against gathering for a collaboration dinner on Tuesday.  :(  In lieu of that, we'll develop a list of great local eateries where people can gather in smaller groups to further strengthen those collaborative bonds.

We'll send out more information as it becomes relevant.

Regards,
Dave and Gunther

-- 
David Morrison  Brookhaven National Laboratory  phone: 631-344-5840
                Physics Department, Bldg 510 C    fax: 631-344-3253
                          Upton, NY 11973-5000  email: dave AT bnl.gov