As you may know, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus. The virus has been detected in numerous locations internationally, including in the United States. As coronavirus continues to spread across the country and world, we wanted to reach out to you regarding preparations underway at McCormick Place.  The number one priority for the team at McCormick Place is the health and safety of our campus guests. We have no reason to believe coronavirus is present on our campus but will immediately inform our guests if we have reason to believe otherwise. We are working closely with public health officials to follow all recommendations and best practices regarding the virus. There have been no disruptions to any of the operations on our campus.  We are more than happy to work with you to develop plans and procedures specific to your event. We have also already taken several steps, including:

• Increased cleaning – Our janitorial team adheres to the recommendations set forth in the U.S. EPA’s Emerging Pathogen Policy regarding cleaning disinfectants. We are using Virex II 256, a recommended hospital-grade disinfectant, for cleaning.
• In addition to the restrooms, we are using Virex II 256 on the high touch areas, such as:
  o Handrails
  o All info desks
  o All entrance revolving door handles, main door handles, and push bars
  o Public furniture
  o Water fountains
  o High-touch points in meeting rooms (door handles, podiums, etc.)
• Increased hand sanitizer stations. We now have more hand sanitizer stations at high traffic locations. These stations are mobile, allowing us to deploy them based on the event schedules and traffics.

• Staff training – All McCormick Place Security, Fire Safety, EMT and paramedic personnel have guidelines from our medical advisor on how to recognize possible symptoms of Coronavirus. In addition, our First Aid staff has received precautionary training in the event a guest came to our attention with Coronavirus-like symptoms.
• Increased the outside air intake/air change rate during event hours.

If you have questions about your specific event, please contact your Event Manager. For more information, please review our Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions.

Protecting yourself from the virus

Some ways to protect yourself against coronavirus include:

• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Stay home if you are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and immediately dispose of the tissue
• Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and services
• Frequently wash your hands with soap and water
• Frequently use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol

For more information on protecting yourself from coronavirus, please review the information provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

About Coronavirus

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus. In December 2019, a new kind of coronavirus, COVID-19, was identified as the cause of various cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The virus has been detected in 50 areas internationally, including the United States. The virus is thought to be spread from person-to-person, particularly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet of each other).

The main symptoms of COVID-19 coronavirus include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

For more information on facts and figures, you can visit the World Health Organization’s Coronavirus Disease situation reports.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What preventative steps has McCormick Place taken against coronavirus?

Our number priority is always the health and safety of our guests. We have taken several steps to protect the campus including:

• Increased cleaning – Our janitorial team adheres to the recommendations set forth in the U.S. EPA’s Emerging Pathogen Policy regarding cleaning disinfectants. We are using Virex II 256, a recommended hospital-grade disinfectant, for cleaning. In addition to the restrooms, we are using a sanitizer on “high touch” areas, such as:
• Handrails
• All info desks
• All entrance revolving door handles, main door handles, and push bars
• Public furniture
• Water fountains
• High-touch points in meeting rooms (door handles, podiums, etc.)
• Increased hand sanitizing stations—We had added more hand-washing stations at high traffic locations. These stations are mobile, allowing us to deploy them based on the event schedules and traffics.
• Staff training – All McCormick Place Security, Fire Safety, EMT and paramedic personnel have guidelines from our medical advisor on how to recognize possible symptoms of Coronavirus. In addition, our First Aid staff has received precautionary training in the event a guest came to our attention with Coronavirus-like symptoms.
• Increased the outside air intake/air change rate during event hours.

Have you added extra staff to address this situation?

While all staff will be equipped to disinfectant their assigned area, there are additional staff for the sole purpose of continuous cleaning of public space with Virex 256.

Do you have any medical staff on campus?

We have a campus medical director as well as experts on infectious disease that we consult with regarding issues like this The medical director works closely with the other first responders on campus, including EMTs, paramedics, and security to ensure our team is prepared for medical emergencies on campus, including communicable diseases.

If an event is cancelled, how will guest be notified?

The decision to cancel an event, and all subsequent communications, will be handled by the show organizer. We will help in whatever way we can.

General virus questions

How is coronavirus spread?

The virus is thought to be spread from person-to-person, particularly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet of each other).

What are some ways to avoid catching coronavirus?

Some ways to protect yourself against coronavirus include:

• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Stay home if you are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and immediately dispose of the tissue
• Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and services

• Frequently wash your hands with soap and water
• Frequently use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol

What are the symptoms of coronavirus? Patients with coronavirus reported severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Posted from the McCormick Place website - https://www.mccormickplace.com/coronavirus/