Gemini Observatory COVID-19 Update

This month has seen an almost complete reversal of the COVID situations in Hawai‘i and Chile.

As mentioned in the last e-News for the Gemini/NOIRLab Community, Hawai‘i was beginning to see a new spike in cases. That spike has since developed into a full-on surge, driven by the Delta variant and community spread. Daily case counts at the time of writing are far in excess of anything seen in 2020. Accordingly, we have reverted Gemini North summit operations from five days per week with a normal-sized crew to seven days with a small crew to minimise the chance of cross-infection. The most significant consequence for the community is that the engineering shutdown, scheduled to start on 23 August 2021, will be extended by a week and now ends on 10 September 2021. This will enable the coating of the secondary mirror by a smaller than normal engineering crew.

Meanwhile, Chile has experienced plummeting case counts, aided by a 90% (first dose) vaccination rate among the eligible population, a milestone achieved in Chile over the past month. Gemini South summit operations remain unchanged, and although border restrictions remain in place we are planning, along with the other NOIRLab programs in Chile, for a controlled return to office in the coming months. Gemini South is still planning to coat its primary mirror later this year, but the schedule will be affected by the travel restrictions; watch for updates on the NOIRLab Science and Gemini web pages.