The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Annual Meeting, scheduled for May 15-20 in Boston, has been canceled, joining a long list of healthcare conferences and annual meetings shut down by the rapidly spreading COVID-19.

SOCIAL DISTANCING National conferences are being called off to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

ASCRS officials said the cancellation came after monitoring daily recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the city of Boston. Massachusetts has been hit particularly hard by the virus. More than 200 of the nation's approximate 5,000 known cases are in The Bay State.

"During this entire process there has never been an option that was an ideal solution, but we ultimately feel [canceling the conference] is the correct decision and in the best interest of our members," says ASCRS in a statement.

Event organizers said no action is needed by the meetings attendees and that ASCRS would be providing them an update sometime this week. "We are exploring the possibility of rescheduling the meeting and will continue to offer online resources to support your ongoing clinical and networking needs," says ASCRS.

Adam Taylor