One of the biggest gaming conventions in the world began Thursday at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Thousands of gamers from around the world flocked to PAX East despite concerns about the novel coronavirus spiking.
Though officials in Massachusetts have confirmed only one case — Governor Gina Raimondo announced the first for neighboring Rhode Island Sunday — the state’s Department of Public Health revealed that nearly 300 people across the Commonwealth are under voluntary quarantine as they’re monitored for symptoms.
On the first day of the four-day convention, some PAX East attendees wore masks as they prowled the exhibition floor. Among them was 26-year old Jessica Graham.
“It just makes me feel safe,” Graham said. “It might not work, but at least I’m feeling safe with it.”
Dr. Sophia Dyer of the Boston Public Health Commission said that research doesn’t suggest there’s any benefit to wearing masks for those trying to avoid COVID-19.
"The current advice from the CDC is that routine use of a mask is really not indicated,” Dyer said.
Dyer offered reassurance for those on the fence about attending PAX East. “I don’t think that at this point people should be hesitant about going about their daily lives," she said. "Things need to still kind of move forward.
"If you’re feeling really ill, stay home," she added. "But barring that, you should make sure you get your flu shot every year, do good hand washing, have alcohol-based hand sanitizer and please cover your cough.”
Ryan Hartman, Senior Vice President of Content and Events at Penny Arcade — the organization behind PAX East — said that he and his staff are pushing similar advice.
“We’ve doubled down,” Hartman said. “We’re working extensively with the city and with the convention center to make sure we’re hitting all the CDC and EPA guidelines, upping all the hand sanitizers. It’s just like, take a commonsense approach. Don’t put your mouth on a doorknob.”
Leaders at the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the agency that runs the BCEC, said they’ve doubled the number of staff dedicated to wiping down surfaces throughout the convention center, and Hartman says they’ve roughly tripled the number of dispensers for hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes throughout the facility.
The sanitation efforts are under special scrutiny following gaming giant Sony’s decision to withdraw from PAX East only a week before the convention began, with the company citing the novel coronavirus as the reason why. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh called on Sony to reconsider, to no avail.
A few other developers have scaled back their presence at PAX East, but Hartman said the vast majority of fans were still expected to show up.
“We have seen a handful of folks try to cancel their tickets or offload it to a friend or something like that, but it actually hasn’t been too bad.”
Most attendees who spoke with WGBH News at PAX East on Thursday said they were satisfied with organizers’ efforts amid anxieties about COVID-19, including Meghan Corless of Allston. “There’s a lot of hand sanitizer here, more than any other year, which I’m a big fan of.”
Leaders with PAX East said they never considered cancelling this year’s convention, but questions remain about whether the organizers of future events scheduled at the BCEC will keep their commitments. MCCA Chief Information Security Officer Robert Noonan said he’s concerned that Sony’s withdrawal from PAX East might have unfairly tainted the venue’s reputation.
“Part of the unfortunate nature of that is that people’s perception when you go to events like this is a sense of, is there a worry?” Noonan said. “Is there a reason they’re not coming? Should I not come? From our perspective and the planning and preparation we do to make sure this venue and the event is safe and secure, that wasn’t the case. This event is a safe and secure event. The city of Boston is very safe.”
Despite concern over COVID-19, fans at PAX East said they plan to enjoy their time amid their fellow gamers.
This year’s convention is Kacie Manzo’s eighth. She came up from New Jersey and is staying in Boston with friends she met at PAX East years ago.
“This is the highlight of many people’s years, to hang out with games and hang out with people who have the same interests as them,” said Manzo. “I think the community is really great, really positive, and they’re not going to let anything stop them."
