San Diego Comic-Con recently addressed Coronavirus fears indicating they are working with local officials and monitoring developments.

A Comic-Con International rep told TVLine that Comic-Con “is working with local officials as it pertains to the COVID-19 situation and continues to monitor developments closely.”

The San Diego Convention Center, where San Diego Comic-Con takes place, already has a Coronavirus FAQ up on their website.

Like the reps from Comic-Con International, the San Diego Convention Center is also “closely monitoring the international outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China (COVID-19). ”

They note that their team “has increased precautionary measures, training, and communication throughout the facility.”

Related: Coronavirus Shuts Down Multiple Anime Productions And Japan’s Major Cosplay Event Nippombashi Street Festa

They also detail that they are “closely monitoring the situation through updates from the CDC and the California Department of Public Health, along with direct dialogue with San Diego officials.”

Some of their precautionary measures include, “enhancing onsite communications and signage in restrooms regarding preventative actions, placing an increased number of hand sanitizer stations throughout the building, increasing the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched objects, and providing ongoing training for SDCC staff and partners regarding best practices for providing a safe and healthy environment.”

They also detail that there have been two confirmed cases of Coronavirus in San Diego, “CDC officials confirmed two cases of coronavirus in February 2020 after testing patients who had been quarantined at MCAS Miramar, located approximately 15 miles north of SDCC. The patients were quarantined after arriving from China.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says, “The potential public health threat posed by COVID-19 is very high, to the United States and globally.”

However, they also note that “most people in the United States will have little immediate risk of exposure to this virus. This virus is NOT currently spreading widely in the United States.”

Related: Boston Mayor Insinuates Sony Canceling Their Appearance At PAX East Due To Coronavirus “Reinfoces Harmful Stereotypes That Generations Of Asians Worked Hard To Dismantle”

The CDC adds, “However, it is important to note that current global circumstances suggest it is likely that this virus will cause a pandemic. This is a rapidly evolving situation and the risk assessment will be updated as needed.”

The risk of coronavirus at San Diego Comic-Con does have some TV executives worried. TVLine reports they spoke to a number of executives who chose to remain anonymous. One executive stated, “There’s obviously concern. For now we’re taking a wait-and-see approach.”

Another executive explained it was “too soon” to make any decisions. While a third added, “It’d be irresponsible for us to not be thinking about it. But it’s too soon to press the panic button.”

Coronavirus has already affected one major convention here in the United States. Sony pulled out of PAX East that happened this weekend.

The virus has had a major impact in Japan where three major conventions have been cancelled. First Japan’s Nippombashi Street Festa was cancelled. The event typically drew crowds over 200,000.

Related: Coronavirus Continues to Wreak Havok on Anime Industry, Forcing More Event and Premiere Cancellations Including Doraemon Nobita’s New Dinosaur

That would be followed up with the cancellation of AnimeJapan 2020 and the Family Anime Festa 2020.

AnimeJapan 2020, Family Anime Festa 2020 cancellation.

Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak and the call from the Japanese government to cancel large-scale events, but above all thinking about the health of our visitors and everyone involved, we have decided to cancel the event. pic.twitter.com/oNoKhs4SrB — AnimeJapan 2020 Official English Account (@aj_overseas) February 27, 2020

We are very sorry to all the anime fans looking forward to this year’s edition and all parties who were preparing for the event, however the conclusion has been made to prevent the further spread of the infection.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter. — AnimeJapan 2020 Official English Account (@aj_overseas) February 27, 2020

Variety also reports that Hollywood studios are already cancelling film premieres in China. They note that premieres for Mulan and the upcoming James Bond film No Time to Die have been cancelled.

Variety also indicates that Disney might delay the release of Mulan and Onward in Italy due to the coronavirus.

What do you make of San Diego Comic-Con’s response to Coronavirus? What do you make of all the cancellations throughout the entertainment industry?

(Visited 359 times, 1 visits today)