In order to account for blockers to the release process such as checking dependency update exclusions, updating dependencies (until updates are automated), CVEs and any other pre-release tasks that should be accounted for, automate opening an issue to block the release with the reminders in the description. The issue should be opened sometime in the week preceding a scheduled release.
If the scheduled release is triggered without the issue being resolved, the pre-release checks will fail. The release can be manually triggered later that same day once the issue is resolved.
Issue gh-10451