San Diego Comic-Con Issues Statement on Coronavirus

Concerns over coronavirus continue to mount as more cases are discovered across the globe, causing entertainment executives to determine the best course of action for the upcoming slate of annual public events that include CinemaCon, CineEurope, and San Diego Comic-Con. Companies all over the globe are making, cancelling, or altering plans in response to the spread of coronavirus, causing many fans to wonder whether events like Comic-Con are still a viable travel destination this summer. ComicBook.com has reached out to the organizers of SDCC, asking about how organizers are dealing with the potential threat of coronavirus.

“Comic-Con is working with local officials as it pertains to the COVID-19 situation and continues to monitor developments closely,” Comic-Con International reps said.

While SDCC is still nearly five months away, many companies are having to finalize their plans for logistical reasons, such as travel and boarding. And though thousands and thousands of people descend upon the San Diego Convention Center every summer, the threat of outbreak must be taken very seriously.

CinemaCon in Las Vegas has consistently been one of the biggest showcases for new films releasing every year, and they’ve already seen distributors from China back out from attending.

AnimeJapan 2020 was cancelled due to the rise of infection rates in the country. The event is one of the biggest anime conventions in the world, and was supposed to take place in March.

PlayStation, Microsoft, Epic Games, Electronic Arts, and other companies have also pulled out of Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, which is still taking place despite the city’s mayor London Breed declaring a state of emergency due to fear of coronavirus outbreaks.

It remains to be seen what precautions will be taken for San Diego Comic-Con or how drastic they will be; there’s also the possibility that the event could be outright cancelled much like AnimeJapan. But the organizers are committed to working with San Diego officials to create a safe environment for another event, despite the fear of outbreak.

2020 Comic-Con International is currently set to take place in San Diego from July 22nd to July 26th.