Updated on March 13. Please see here for latest news.

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It's cold and flu season here in Canada, and with many common seasonal viruses and bacteria, along with the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) circulating, concern about attending events, or being around large numbers of people is one we're all thinking about. The most effective way to keep yourself safe from catching a seasonal illness is good hygiene - and we're committed to making this a priority at FITC events.

FITC is working closely on a daily basis with all of the stakeholders of the event, including the venues, our speakers, our sponsors, our attendees, our volunteers, and the city of Toronto, to ensure a safe event. As a result, all of our upcoming events are proceeding as planned, as the risk assessment in Canada is low, with safety as a top priority.

Some facts that have influenced our decision to continue on with the show.

1. The Canadian government has assessed the risk as LOW for Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html

2. The audience for our FITC Toronto event is primarily a local one (75%), with about 25% flying in from other parts of Canada, and the USA. We generally do not see any attendees from the areas heavily impacted by the virus, including China, Japan, Asia and Italy. The audience for our Spotlight events is almost 100% local from the GTA.

There is a lot about COVID-19 that is still unknown, but what we do know is that personal hygiene is of critical importance. 

Currently, we are taking the following actions on-site:

  • provision of disinfectant wipes and spray, hand sanitizer for common area spaces and activity spaces
  • equipment and public item area wipe downs
  • inclusion of City of Toronto Health Disease Prevention literature

Prevention tips include:

  • Washing your hands for 20 seconds and using alcohol based hand sanitizer
  • When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard tissue immediately into a closed bin
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Do not attend the event if you are feeling ill. If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, call your local emergency 

All registered attendees will be kept up-to-date on any new developments which may affect the event as they arise, and can rest assured that we are making decisions with the well-being of everyone involved. 

If you have event specific questions, please reach out to us at info@fitc.ca