The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted nearly all aspects of modern life. This year NeurIPS will host a symposium on COVID-19 to frame challenges and opportunities for the machine learning community and to foster a frank discussion on the role of machine learning. A central focus of this symposium will be clearly outlining key areas where machine learning is and is not likely to make a substantive impact. The one-day event will feature talks from leading epidemiologists, biotech leaders, policy makers, and global health experts. Attendees of this symposium will gain a deeper understanding of the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges and limitations for current machine learning capabilities, how machine learning is accelerating COVID-19 vaccine development, and possible ways machine learning may aid in the present and future pandemics.