The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on Rubin Observatory construction activities. As a preventative measure, construction activities on Cerro Pachón were shut down on Friday, March 20th and the site was secured as safely as possible, given the incomplete condition of the facility. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory also closed, and work on the Camera has ceased.
All Rubin Observatory staff are now teleworking, and progress is being made in software development and a number of other areas. When safety permits, staff will be able to return to the summit and construction will ramp up as quickly as is feasible. Project leadership will work with our funding agencies, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Energy (DOE), to evaluate the impact on the construction timeline.
Answers to frequently asked questions about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Rubin Observatory, as well as the latest updates to this evolving situation, are available here.