March 13, 2020
Expos cancelled, festival continues
We at NE SciFest have spent the last few weeks collecting information regarding coronavirus’s potential impact on our events during the month of April. We have worked closely with experts at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine, considered guidance provided by public health authorities, and have had numerous discussions with our core team to determine the best path forward with our festival. After much deliberation, we have decided to cancel the NE SciFest Student and Public Expos given their hands-on nature and the expected large numbers of attendees. Ultimately, the safety of the public, our volunteers, and our partners is our primary concern.
Regarding our broader Festival, many events scheduled through April 26 present less concern and will continue as planned, for the time being. Our partners, who are primarily responsible for those events, will make an independent determination as to whether to cancel. We will continue to work with them and will rely on the latest public health information in making these decisions. Please check our website for details about each event at nescifest.com.
At this time, we do not plan to reschedule the Public Expos in 2020.
We urge our festival community to do what they can to help slow/stop the potential spread of coronavirus. For the most current information about the disease and its prevention, please refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We also recommend taking the following precautions:
- avoid handshakes and limit interpersonal contact
- wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
- avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- stay home if you are feeling sick (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
- cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands
INFO FOR FESTIVAL EVENT HOSTS
We encourage you to take reasonable precautions to protect your guests and staff during Festival events. If your venue decides to cancel or limit activities, please let us know as soon as possible. We encourage you to take reasonable precautions to protect your guests and staff during Festival events. We ask you to:
- consider the style of your event and how you might make alterations to limit interpersonal contact
- increase regular cleaning/disinfection practices on high-volume touchpoints
- post signage for guests about best practices to Stop the Spread of Germs [available in English/Spanish]
- Encourage guests and staff/volunteers to:
- avoid handshakes and limit interpersonal contact
- bring and use your own hand sanitizer
- wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- stay home if feeling sick (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
We are following guidance from CDC and the experts in infectious disease at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine and will share updates with you as we learn more information. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
For updates and more information on events, please visit us online at nescifest.com.