Masks will not be required at Global Pet Expo, which takes place March 23-25 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
Organizers originally announced that a mask requirement would be in place for the show, but that they would provide an update by March 3.
Andrew Darmohraj, chief operating officer of the American Pet Products Association, offered an update Tuesday in an email alert. Global Pet Expo is presented by APPA and the Pet Industry Distributors Association.
Darmohraj wrote:
I am happy to say that things have improved over the last several weeks, allowing many states and municipalities to relax mask requirements. According to Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day average for positive cases has decreased by nearly 93% from January 19 to February 28, with hospitalizations decreasing by 65% during that same time period. Projections are that these numbers will continue to drop significantly over the next few weeks.
Based on recent trends and regulatory guidance, Global Pet Expo is adjusting its precautionary measures and making face coverings optional for all attendees. The Global Pet Expo team will not require proof of vaccination to attend. If you would like information about the Orange County Convention Center health and safety protocols, please click here.
We also have some news for our international attendees who may need a COVID-19 test to return home from Orlando, FL. We will be working with Covid Testing LLC to provide both rapid and PCR testing at the Convention Center during show days. Details will be available at GlobalPetExpo.com soon.
To ensure we are making decisions with the health and safety of attendees top of mind, the team has been and will continue working closely with Epistemix, a computational modeling software company that develops simulations to model the spread of diseases and inform policy. Their most recent data that speaks to the risk of COVID-19 transmission during Global Pet Expo is projected at a rate of less than 0.1% of all attendees.
It has been a long two years since we have met in person. Everyone here is excited to head to Orlando and present you with a great show. We look forward to seeing you there.
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