COLUMBUS – Saying that they are acting out of an “abundance of caution” in the face of the spreading coronavirus outbreak, Gov. Mike DeWine, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and the organizers of the Arnold Sports Festival have decided that the event will go forward this weekend but without spectators or the trade show
With @MayorGinther and @Schwarzenegger on the phone talking about safety measures at the Arnold in light of COVID-19. For the safety of all, the event will be limited this year. pic.twitter.com/rCaeRzbPRW
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 3, 2020
Following new guidelines on mass gatherings and issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier in the day, recommending local authorities consider the health infrastructure’s ability to deal with a sudden influx of patients, DeWine announced that only athletes and their close family members will be allowed at most of the four-day event except for Saturday night’s finals competition.
He says local health agencies could be overwhelmed by an outbreak at the festival that attracts 250,000 athletes and spectators to dozens of events, some of which are held in enclosed spaces.
“Part of this decision was capacity, that there was simply not the capacity anywhere to take care of more than the athletes themselves,” he told reporters at a Statehouse news conference Tuesday night.
Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the festival’s co-founder and namesake, joined the news conference by telephone, and said he and fellow organizers do not want to put money ahead of safety, especially during an event focusing on wellness.
“So, when you talk about health and fitness, and then you talk about the coronavirus, it would do exactly the opposite of what we’re trying to preach because there are such risks involved,” he said, reiterating the message later in the evening in a Twitter post.
It’s a sad day for me and everyone at the @ArnoldSports team. But we will always put our fans’ health first. After discussions with @GovMikeDeWine, @MayorGinther, and the CDC, we will be postponing the expo because we can’t risk bringing 250,000 people together with #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/Fuzcmapxiy
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 3, 2020
Schwarzenegger said spectators would be allowed during the Arnold Classic Bodybuilding and Strongman Championships at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
The Arnold Sports Festival, the largest event of its kind in the world, was slated to draw more than 20,000 athletes from 80 countries.
The death toll from the coronavirus in the U.S. has climbed to nine, with more than 100 cases in at least 15 states.
Ohio has reported no confirmed cases but the Ohio Department of Health website indicates that one person is being tested by the CDC.