This message was sent to all exhibitors and attendees for PIE 2020:
We at the Parking Industry Expo take the concerns about the Coronavirus very seriously. We have researched the issue with the CDC, the California Department of Health, and the San Diego Department of Health. There are a number of things we should keep in mind.
First of all, to date an extremely small number of people have tested positive for the virus in California (8), all of whom contracted the virus in China and have been quarantined. The case of the Korean flight attendant which is getting headlines today (she flew out of LAX) has been traced to a travel group from Israel –She also worked the flight from Tel Aviv to Seoul. She tested positive in Korea and is quarantined there. This is not to say that this isn’t a serious problem, but the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta has commented as follows (as seen on CNN):
“If you are a traveler who has recently returned from the impacted area, we want you to be vigilant with the symptoms and signs of this coronavirus,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Local health officials are cracking down on misinformation related to the virus, including fake reports of confirmed cases and conspiracy theories about its spread. The most accurate information comes from county, state and federal health departments and is updated regularly as officials learn more. Otherwise, the CDC encourages people to follow flu season protocol: Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid ill people and stay home and avoid public situations if they’re ill. A coronavirus vaccine would take at least a year to reach the public. The CDC does not recommend Americans wear surgical masks in public. Surgical masks are effective against respiratory infections but not airborne infections. While much of the world is focused on the coronavirus outbreak, influenza continues to take its toll in the United States, where an estimated 15 million people have been infected and 8,200 have died from the disease so far this flu season. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said those numbers aren’t unusually high they are far greater than the 81,000 cases and 2700 deaths as of Tuesday world wide from the Coronavirus. Sixty people have been stricken with coronavirus in the U.S. and no deaths have been reported.
We will be current on this issue and will keep those coming to PIE informed. The San Diego Convention Center has published a Fact Sheet on the Virus. Click here to view the document.
We look forward to seeing you on March 23 for the biggest, best, and most informative PIE.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.
JVH
jvh@parkingtoday.com
