SXSW Moving Forward Amid Coronavirus Concerns

AUSTIN, TX — With the specter of the new coronavirus looming — and commanding headlines worldwide — organizers of the massive South by Southwest festival in Austin scheduled later this month are offering attendees advice on how to stay healthy.

"SXSW is working closely on a daily basis with local, state and federal agencies to plan for a safe event," organizers said in a March 1 update. "As a result of this dialogue and the recommendations of Austin Public Health, the 2020 event is proceeding with safety as a top priority."

Still, some high-profile attendees have pulled out over fears stemming from the outbreak — Twitter, Intel \, Facebook and TikTok among them. The annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences attracts tens of thousands of participants from all over the world.

Despite the growing concern, organizers offered attendees hygiene tactics — comprising often-provided tips given by health officials — to practice ahead of and during large gatherings such as SXSW. The annual event takes place March 13-22 primarily centered in the central business district.

The new coronavirus is the respiratory ailment that originated in China. Now officially called COVID-19, the disease 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.

Related stories:

• Chinese Group Cancels SXSW 2020 Meet Due To Coronavirus
• Austin ISD Begins Screening For Coronavirus
• UT-Austin Suspends Student China Travel Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
• UT-Austin Researchers Map New Coronavirus Toward Vaccine Creation
• WilCo Officials Calm New Coronavirus Fears

In their health update, SXSW officials acknowledge much is still unknown about the new coronavirus: "There is a lot about COVID-19 that is still unknown, but what we do know is that personal hygiene is of critical importance. We hope that people follow the science, implement the recommendations of public health agencies, and continue to participate in the activities that make our world connected."

Festival organizers urged would-be attendees to heed the World Health Organization's various safety precautions," SXSW officials wrote. The advice includes:

• Wash your hands for 20 seconds and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue, and discard the tissue immediately into a closed bin.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home or in your hotel if you have a fever.

Officials also directed festival attendees to the City of Austin’s Public Health Reminders from Feb. 6, Feb. 14 and Feb. 25. On Feb. 28, SXSW oficials noted, Austin Public Health updated its FAQ about COVID-19 and SXSW.

The new coronavirus already has impacted the upcoming festival:

• 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.
• 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."
• Late Monday, Facebook announced 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."
• On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Intel confirmed they also have decided not to attend. "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.
• Also on Tuesday, a spokesperson for TikTok confirmed the company also has pulled out: "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.

Some 3,000 people worldwide have succumbed to the respiratory ailment, most of the victims in China. As of Monday, 102 Covid-19 deaths have been reported in the U.S. although none in Texas. Confirmed cases of new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Arizona; California; Florida; Illinois; Massachusetts; New York; Oregon; Rhode Island; Wisconsin; and New Hampshire. Six people have died of the illness in Washington State, according to reports.

In light of the growing coronavirus outbreak, some are calling SXSW officials to cancel the massive event entirely. A Change.org petition calling for the cancellation has gathered more than 32,000 signatures. "I believe that having an event like this is irresponsible amid an outbreak," the originator of the petition wrote. "Please think about the children, immune-compromised, elderly, diabetic, asthmatic, etc. people who could die because of this."