Coronavirus Won't Halt SXSW: Austin Health Officials

AUSTIN, TX — Despite the growing threat of the new coronavirus, Austin health officials on Wednesday say there is no need to cancel the upcoming SXSW festival even as high-profile attendees add themselves to a growing list of cancellations over fears of the respiratory illness outbreak.

“Right now there is no evidence that closing South by Southwest or other activities is going to make this community safer," Mark Escott, interim medical director and health authority for Austin Public Health, said during a Wednesday press conference. "We are constantly monitoring that situation. We've asked an expert advisory panel to evaluate that. And if there's any evidence that our community will be safer by closing down public events, we will do that. We expect in the future that there may be modifications based upon the threat of this disease.”

Renamed COVID-19, the virus is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.

Escott's comments came after comments he made to county officials — part of a briefing on expanded testing protocols for the ailment as directed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — gave rise to alarmist headlines by some media outlets, suggesting someone locally had been felled by the illness first originating in China.

Related stories:

• Austin Health Officials Expand Coronavirus Testing Procedures
• SXSW Moving Forward Amid Coronavirus Concerns
• Chinese Group Cancels SXSW 2020 Meet Due To Coronavirus
• SXSW Moving Forward Amid Coronavirus Concerns

In a telephone interview with Patch on Tuesday, Austin Health spokesperson Jan Samp explained Escott's briefing related strictly to implementation of more rigorous testing methods on sick people — as directed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — to rule out coronavirus. She added the first expanded test was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week — a move some media outlets strongly inferred as indicative of a new coronavirus case from Travis County.

Yet the expanded testing was implemented amid ever-changing protocol set by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the virus expands. Whereas before travelers would be tested when arriving from China, more stringent monitoring was sparked after coronavirus cases emerged even among some who had not traveled abroad, Samp explained.

Like Escott, Samp also described the panel of experts that have been engaged for their expertise comprising federal and state heath agencies, local hospitals, medics and others. Notwithstanding the more robust testing, the risk of contracting the respiratory ailment remains low, she stressed: "The risk is very low at this point, the fear is very high. We are expecting to get cases — this has been stated by the CDC. But we're going to test more, and we're ready. We don't blame the public for being afraid, but we're ready for stuff like this, and have been preparing."

As for SXSW, she said health officials have long been prepared to deal with illness amid large gatherings in a city that routinely hosts festivals in keeping with the municipal moniker of "the live music capital of the world." That preparation also applies to SXSW scheduled March 13-22 that draws an influx of tens of thousands of attendees from all over the world every year.

For the uninitiated, SXSW is an annual conglomeration of concurrently organized film, interactive media and music festivals and conferences that take place in mid-March in Austin every year. The gathering began in 1987, and has grown exponentially in both scope and sheer size every year.

The event is also a financial bonanza for the city. According to an economic impact statement sent to the City of Austin, SXSW officials said the gathering drew 289,000 attendees in 2018 in generating a $350.6 million economic impact to the local economy. Last year, the event's economic impact grew to $355.9 million, according to a SXSW press advisory in which Austin Mayor Steve Adler compared the mass gathering it as akin to "...hosting the Super Bowl every year."

"We prepare for SXSW a year in advance," Samp said. "We're in Austin where we have festivals and mass gatherings, so we have emergency plans. There are guidelines from CDC and WHO (World Health Organization) on mass gatherings that we follow. "We're taking a microscopic look at the face, and looking at what it takes and what the precautions are that we need."

Despite the low risk of contracting the illness and the preparation of local health officials to deal with illness, several high-profile companies that had planned on attending SXSW have pulled out. Among them:

• The CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, who was scheduled to speak at this year's festival, canceled his trip after a companywide ban on all "noncritical travel" due to the outbreak. His name is no longer listed on the festival's online schedule. "Our goal is to reduce the risk that anyone at Twitter might contract or inadvertently spread the virus," Twitter officials wrote in a blog. "It is important that we take these proactive steps to protect ourselves and others and minimize the spread of COVID-19."
• Facebook, which announced late Monday, it, too, would pull out of the conference as reported by multiple media outlets. The social media giant had planned to dispatch about a dozen speakers to the multimedia festival and had one activation planned. "Yes, confirming that we are, in fact, no longer participating at SXSW this year," Facebook spokesperson Tracy Clayton wrote Patch in response to an emailed inquiry. "SXSW is very important to the digital community and this was a difficult decision to make." Clayton provided the company's official statement distributed to other media: "Due to concerns related to coronavirus, our company and employees will not be participating in SXSW this year."
• Intel, which revealed its pullout on Tuesday. "After careful consideration, we have withdrawn from on-site activities at this year's SXSW," company spokeswoman Nancy Sanchez wrote in an emailed response to a Patch inquiry. "We are grateful to SXSW for their understanding and look forward to attending and supporting future events." The technology firm is based in Santa Clara, California.
• TikTok, the video-sharing social networking service owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, also confirmed its decision not to attend on Tuesday. "TikTok has decided not to participate in SXSW this year," Hilary McQuaide wrote in an emailed response to a Patch inquiry. "While we think the risk is relatively low, we are erring on the side of caution as we prioritize safety for our team, creators, partners, artists and brands. We are looking at a variety of alternative ways to bring parts of the previously scheduled experience to audiences in creative new forms." TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming.

• China Gathering — a perennial presence at SXSW that brings together Chinese companies to explore trade opportunities — previously canceled its trip in light of COVID-19. In a Feb. 6 letter to participants and SXSW organizers, the founder and CEO of China Gathering LLC wrote of the decision to cancel the event in light of the respiratory illness outbreak.
• Officials of the Latinx House — an initiative founded by Mónica Ramirez, Olga Segura and Alex Kondracke Martinez — late Wednesday alerted to the cancellation of their event that had been scheduled March 14-15. The two-day event was to feature parties, brunches and panels in celebration of Latinx filmmakers and creators. "In following the latest developments regarding COVID-19, it is with a heavy heart that we have decided to cancel our events at South by Southwest this year," officials wrote in an emailed advisory. "Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by this illness and those who are working to contain and put an end to it. Even though we won’t be at SXSW, our mission to amplify the voices of and content created by Latinx artists, entertainers, policy experts, and grassroots organizers continues full steam ahead as we plan our next opportunities for collaboration."
• By Thursday, Gore-Tex Products NA added itself to the list of cancellations. "After careful consideration, we have decided to cancel our events at SXSW due to the concerns related to the coronavirus," officials wrote on Twitter. "We feel it is best to err on the side of caution for the health and safety of our Associates who were scheduled to attend as well as the general public." Gore-Tex is a manufacturer of a namesakd waterproof, breathable fabric membrane used in apparel that is a registered trademark of W. L. Gore and Associates.

WanerMedia, Apple, IBM, Netflix and Amazon Studios also reportedly have pulled out of the upcoming festival over coronavirus fears, according to reports. Heightened fears over COVID-19 sparked a petition on Change.org calling for SXSW to be canceled outright this year. At last check, the petition had collected 43,380 signatures.

In light of growing concern over the upcoming mass gathering amid the COVID-19 threat, Austin Center for Events leadership and regional partners have scheduled an overview of safety, security and traffic operations for Spring Festival 2020 events including SXSW on March 9 at City Hall, 301 W. 2nd St., officials announced on Wednesday. Representatives from key departments and organizations are scheduled to be on hand to answer questions related to events operations, including:

• Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
• Austin Police Department.
• Austin Public Health.
• Austin Transportation Department.
• Capital Metro Transportation Authority.
• Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services.
• Austin Fire Department.
• Austin Code Department.
• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
• Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
• Texas Facilities Commission.
• Austin Resource Recovery.

In a press advisory ahead of the briefing, the Austin Center for Events described its mission as one that "...coordinates city departments to ensure a smooth event process." Representative departments within the Austin Center for Events include Austin Code, Economic Development (Music Division), Austin Fire (Special Events Unit), Austin Public Health, Austin Police (Special Events Unit), Austin-Travis County EMS (Special Events Unit) and Austin Transportation.