Coronavirus pushes GSA to nix FAST 2020

NOTE: This story first appeared on FCW.com.

The General Services Administration cancelled an acquisition training conference scheduled for mid-April in Atlanta because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The U.S. General Services Administration has canceled the Federal Acquisition Service Training (FAST) 2020 conference and all associated meetings," said the agency's March 12 announcement. The conference was officially set for April 13-16, 2020, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

"The health and safety of our conference speakers, attendees, and staff come first," said the statement. "The primary goal of the event was to deliver acquisition training. We are exploring virtual options to potentially deliver some of this important training in April."

The sudden switch has become more common for events, large and small, as local governments have begun limiting gatherings of more than 200 people to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On March 5, GSA notified conference participants that it will hold the event "as planned." At the time, the agency cited guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which called the immediate health risk from the virus low, as well as recommendations from the Georgia Department of Public Health and its own emergency response officials

On March 12, the World Health Organization declared the worldwide outbreak of the virus officially a pandemic.