Organizers for Comic Con are still planning on holding the annual convention in Seattle, even as the state of Washington remains a hotbed of the coronavirus outbreak.
“We are committed to following the enhanced cleaning guidelines, precautions and procedures that we recently deployed at our PAX East event in Boston and C2E2 in Chicago,” the event organizers said in a statement Wednesday. “We feel we owe it to the customer to grant you the personal choice of whether or not to attend.”
Attendees come to Comic Con from around the nation to celebrate comic books and other media. The convention attracted 98,000 people last year.
Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration, warned about people gathering at Comic Con in Washington state, where 10 people have died of COVID-19.
“Meanwhile Comic Con will bring together 100,000 people in Seattle in a week. Into an area of America’s only known, potential larger outbreak,” he said Thursday on Twitter. “So far, local officials and event organizer are maintaining the event with stepped up efforts at infection control and other measures.”
Meanwhile Comic Con will bring together 100,000 people in Seattle in a week. Into an area of America’s only known, potential larger outbreak. So far, local officials and event organizer are maintaining the event with stepped up efforts at infection control and other measures. pic.twitter.com/saECQabd8R
— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 5, 2020
There have been 163 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States. Of those, 46 cases are in Washington state, and all but one of the deaths in the U.S. occurred there.
