Events and venues respond to COVID-19 with caution, cancellations

By Keith Whitcomb Jr. [email protected]
KILLINGTON — The Special Olympics Winter Games event at Killington Ski Resort has been canceled, Ben and Jerry’s postponed Free Cone Day, the New England Silvers Swim Meet is off, the Vermont Philharmonic will not hold its Family Concert at the Barre Opera House, and Castleton University has implemented several restrictions on events and travel, all due to concerns about the global spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

Not everything is canceled, but event planners and venue holders are looking to the state and federal governments for guidance, given it’s not everyday they deal with situations like the spread of the coronavirus, which the World Health Organization is now calling a pandemic.

“At this point, nothing has been canceled,” said Kevin Titterton, director of marketing and communications at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington. “We are looking to the state for guidance.”

At the Flynn, cleaning crews are being more thorough before and after shows, wiping down surfaces and door handles with bleach.

“We are encouraging people to stay home if they don’t feel well,” said Titterton.

He said the Flynn has had to cancel shows in the past for various reasons, but this is a new type of situation.

“We don’t have anything to compare it to,” he said.

He said smaller venues around Burlington appear to be taking similar strategies. More cleaning, extra hand sanitizer, and encouraging people to cough into their elbows or stay home if sick.

“Everyone is in this together, every venue, every business, everyone is dealing with this in real time,” he said.

Winter Games

Special Olympics Vermont announced Wednesday that following advice from Special Olympics International, it would cancel the Winter Games at Killington Ski Resort, scheduled for March 22 through the 24, along with the Unified Champion Schools Snowshoe Tournament set for March 25.

“The health and safety of our athletes, and of the entire Special Olympics Vermont community is paramount and cannot be compromised,” said Missy Siner Shea, president and chief executive officer for Special Olympics Vermont, in a release. “It is very unfortunate that, in an abundance of caution, we must cancel events that we greatly look forward to each year.”

Special Olympics Vermont (SOVT) said the Southern Vermont Penguin Plunge at Bromley Mountain will be reconfigured to allow for both regular and virtual participation. More information would be announced at a later point, according to SOVT.

According to the Vermont group, the decision by Special Olympics International was based on information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the understanding that many Special Olympics athletes, along with coaches and volunteers, are at a higher risk for COVID-19 because of underlying health conditions that can weaken their immune systems. SOVT also sought advice from the Vermont Department of Health and was told it would be hard to enforce “social distancing” as recommended by the CDC given the close quarters involved.

Rutland recreation

Kim Peters, superintendent at the City of Rutland Recreation Department, said she spent some of Wednesday on a White House conference call, hearing from national experts on how to respond to COVID-19.

“What we are doing at our own facility is posting information directly from the CDC website,” Peters said.

Spaces and equipment at the department’s facilities are being cleaned often and people are being asked to monitor themselves for illness and to stay home if sick.

“So far there’s been so much talk about it we’re expecting people to make good decisions,” she said, adding that people showing up to a department facility showing symptoms will be asked to leave.

Peters said nothing has been canceled, and the department typically follows the lead of local schools with regards to calling things off.

“All of our youth activities will continue and we will continue to pay attention to what the high schools do,” she said.

Peters is coach of the Killington Aquatic Club. Two of its members were scheduled to compete at the New England Silvers Swim Meet slated for later this week at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, but the event has been canceled because of coronavirus concerns. Peters said she’s observed that athletic events pulling people in from other states or countries seem to be the ones most likely to get canceled because of the virus.

Wash your hands

The Vermont Philharmonic announced through the Barre Opera House website that its Family Concert, scheduled for Sunday, is canceled.

“Due to the potential for the spread of COVID-19, and the large number of our audience (members) and performers who are in high-risk groups, we are canceling this concert,” reads a statement on the opera house website. “The Vermont Philharmonic is tremendously grateful for our long-time devoted audience members, and we thank you for understanding this difficult decision. We look forward to seeing you at future concerts.”

Opera House Director Dan Casey did not return calls seeking comment.

The CVPS/Leahy Community Health Education Center at Rutland Regional Medical Center hasn’t canceled any events, said Peg Bolgioni, a spokeswoman for the hospital, adding that the hospital will continue to promote the proper washing of hands and is looking to the CDC for guidance.

Many venues are taking precautions and looking to the government for guidance.

Kathleen Keenan, producing artistic director at Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, said there are no big events scheduled at the venue for the immediate future. It can seat up to 150, she said in an interview Thursday.

“Basically, we are following the guidance of the Vermont Department of Health,” said Keenan. “Right now the health department isn’t encouraging people to cancel events and venues.”

Like many other venues, Lost Nation is doing more to clean its facility, and to educate visitors on the importance of washing hands and staying home if they’re sick.

Next Stage Arts Project, in Putney, circulated an email Wednesday saying it will remain open but is taking precautions by “ensuring the building is cleaned regularly, posting infographics as reminders for people to wash their hands, placing hand sanitizer for public use, and watching the data as it rolls in from The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

Paramount Theatre in Rutland put out a similar release, saying all of its shows are scheduled to go on as planned.

“If you have tickets to an event and are sick, please email us at [email protected] and we can transfer the value of your ticket purchase to a gift certificate,” reads the announcement. “If any show is canceled, refunds will be made automatically via the original point of sale and patrons will be notified. Any changes will be posted to our website and social platforms as soon as information is available.”

Castleton University

On Wednesday, Castleton University announced a number of blanket restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.

“Your safety and well-being is always our top priority,” reads an email sent to Castleton faculty, staff and students from the school’s president, Karen Scolforo. “In our efforts to keep you safe, we are taking the following measures, effective immediately, through April 5.”

Those measures include all university-sponsored domestic and international travel is suspended. Events and meetings bringing outside groups to campus are to be canceled, postponed or moved to “virtual delivery models.” Students, faculty and staff currently traveling for school purposes are “to take reasonable measures to return home safely.”

“While we do not have any confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 on any of our three campus locations at this time, it is our goal that these measures will protect our community from this outside element,” wrote Scolforo. “I hope you understand that these are difficult and complicated decisions. The situation is changing rapidly, and we continue to monitor and assess it daily. Further updates will be available at www.castleton.edu/covid19.”

Champlain College also announced Wednesday it’s taking steps to deal with coronavirus.

“Champlain College will extend its spring break for on-campus students by one additional week, with no on-campus courses held in any format from March 16 through 20,” reads a statement from Interim President Laurie Quinn, posted to the school’s website. It outlines a number of other measures related to remote course work and students abroad.