Amid Coronavirus Fears, Ohio Bans Fans From Arnold Sports Fest

COLUMBUS, OH — Citing fears over the new coronavirus, on Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine barred nearly all spectators from attending the ongoing Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus. The popular bodybuilding and weightlifting convention and exhibition annually attracts thousands of people to Ohio's capital city and is slated to run March 5-8.

"We recognize the gravity and consequences of this decision, and I have nothing but the deepest respect for the organizers, but the health of our residents and visitors must be our top priority," Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said on social media.

The festival's competitions will be allowed to continue behind closed doors. Fans will be unable to watch as bodybuilders and weightlifters from around the world compete to break records and earn titles.

According to the state order issued Thursday, only the finals of eight events will be open to the public, with all other events barring spectators.

Fans can see on March 6:

• Fitness international final,
• Figure international final,
• Women's physique final and
• Classic physique final

On March 7, fans can attend only the following events:

• Men's physique finals
• Arnold Classic finals
• Arnold Strongman Classic
• Bikini International finals

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio, but the Ohio Department of Health is monitoring more than 200 travelers who were recently in China. DeWine said the Arnold Festival would attract competitors from more than 80 nations, which posed a "unique" threat to Ohio residents.

DeWine said he was concerned because nearly all events at the festival were general admission, meaning spectators could travel freely throughout the complex, interacting with myriad people along the way.

"These facts make this unique event significantly different than any other event we know of in this state," said DeWine. "With these public health concerns in mind, the State has issued an order prohibiting general spectators from attending."

DeWine and other state officials sent a letter to the Arnold Sports Festival organizers warning there would be legal repercussions if the event opened itself to spectators.

"In the event that organizers fail to comply with our agreement, we stand ready to take appropriate action under Ohio law to protect the health and safety of the residents of the State of Ohio and our guests," DeWine and Ginther said in a co-signed letter to Arnold Sports Festival organizers.