COVID-19 is known to spread through contact with those already infected with the virus, making large international gatherings like Fanfest a public health concern. According to CCP’s statement, the company are taking action to cancel the event now rather than waiting for the situation to develop further, for better or worse. CCP say in the announcement they wanted to provide this information to attendees as soon as possible to allow people to change or cancel their travel and accommodations. There’ll be no Space Pope this year after all. “We realise that the situation a month from now could be very different, but the way events are developing both globally and in Iceland’s neighbouring countries, an in-depth and serious review has made it clear that this is a necessary step to take.” Eve Fanfest is the latest in a growing list of global events that have been postponed or cancelled due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19. This weekend’s ESL Pro Tour now has no live audience. As of writing, GDC is still on, despite Sony and Facebook cancelling attendance along with Microsoft, Epic, and Unity. You can read more about the COVID-19 coronavirus on the World Health Organization website.
