Paizocon which required vaccines, and boosters along with mask, had a covid outbreak. 9 known cases so far for a convention of 500. They even limited the convention and certain events. Goes to show you that a convention can believe they're trying to be as safe as possible with restrictions and still have issues.
Whats the point, they limited who can attend because of the vax/booster requirement, and detracted from the fun of the attendees with mask wearing and still had issues. Covid is not going anywhere until there is a vaccine that actually stops transmission.
If you are that concerned you might catch covid that you want restrictions placed on your fellow attendees, or even limit who can attend because they are not vaxed, you should probably not be attending conventions. The convention organizers need to quit worrying about it with these restrictions. Paizocon proved an outbreak can/will happen anywhere no matter what precautions are taken. Just make everyone sign a waiver and that you understand you attend at your own risk. No one is forcing an attendee to go to a convention.
Of course the real question is how much worse would the cases at Paizocon have been without the vax n mask requirement.
If anything, the PaizoCon news is good reason to continue what Gen Con is doing. Imagine how much worse the situation might be, for con attendees and Seattle citizens alike, if those measures weren't in place at PaizoCon.
No one is forcing you attend a convention either, and if you're that dis-concerned with the health of others, you should probably not be attending conventions while there is still a pandemic and now a potential second with Monkey Pox - the CDC just raised that to level 2 and recommends masks for travel ... which people do for GenCon.
People want to attend GenCon, and want to do so as safely as possible for themselves and others, it's not that complicated.
It's all just layers of selfishness because someone is going to get sick. One person will think 100 sick is acceptable, one person will think that is too high, but remember you can be the most pro-mask wearing, up to date booster, follow all the rules person there is at Gencon and someone else out there thinks you are the most selfish uncaring person for even considering to attend because even 1 person sick from Gencon is too much and they will look down at you.
So we have conventions with Vax/Mask rules that are having Covid outbreaks and we have conventions that don't have vax and/or mask rules that aren't having Covid outbreaks.
Sounds so damned if you do and damned if you don't.
While the City of Indianapolis is showing no signs of implementing a mask mandate. Looks like back in April the Airport and Public transportation went mask optional.
I guess if there is a mask rule then when people find the mask stuffy or uncomfortable then it will be like a smoker needing their fix and will just walk outside and take the mask off for awhile.
"As safe as possible" sounds like a motto many would get behind as obvious, considerate, and responsible, while others would find it suffocating, overprotective, and paranoid. It's a real cultural divide. Not trying to score points for any side with this comment, just really genuinely fascinated by this stark difference in perspectives.
Helmets are basic equipment for football & baseball, are optional but more common now for cycling & skiing, have been recommended for golf but that is widely ignored, and would seem out of place with basketball - even though it is associated with tens of thousands of head injuries each year. I think this thread reveals that some people see masks right now like football helmets, some see them like skiing helmets, some see them as basketball helmets, and yet others see them as sitting-on-the-couch helmets. We all have our own safety vs enjoyment paradigm.
Instead, they want to assume some additional risk to themselves and others and attend in person, but require others to abide by the particular set of rules that make them personally feel comfortable. Let's not pretend it is the safest way to do this, because it just isn't. This is an easier argument if you get to paint yourself as for safety and others as against safety, but it's just not that simple.
Similarly, then, the only way to host Gen Con "as safely as possible" is to not host it at all. Since Gen Con, LLC doesn't appear to have that option (or doesn't want to exercise it), they're taking other steps.
I'm surprised that nobody has commented on how people will wear masks while inside the convention center, but that is the only place they will be wearing them.
There will be very large crowds at the beer garden and the food trucks. There will be large crowds for the outdoor concerts and nobody will be wearing masks while walking around downtown Indy, as well as the restaurants since Indianapolis doesn't have a mask policy currently.
At this point I don't care what Gen Con's health update is as I will still attend. However, I do find it funny that they seem to take this staunch stance on masks and people are so against Gen Con changing their stance on wearing masks, but fail to realize that if they think they will be fully protected at Gen Con from COVID they are fooling themselves.
No one is fooling themselves into believing voluntary attendance to an internationally attended high capacity event is risk-free, travel alone poses significant risk, but we can hope that at Gencon proper there will be some safety guidelines in place to protect staff, volunteers, vendors, GMs and Attendees who will be inhabiting the spaces GC does have some responsibilities and rule setting abilities over.
I wouldn't surprised if there are some testy encounters on the sidewalks or the skywalks as people don't put the masks on until they hit ICC or Lucas Oil.
Then there are the masks with anti-mask slogans on them...