Speaking during a teleconference on Tuesday, February 18, ICANN executives outlined some of the measures ICANN plans to deploy at its upcoming public meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in March. A number of major international events in various countries have already been cancelled in recent weeks due to the threat of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. So far, ICANN has not yet cancelled the event, but is taking additional security measures, according to Domain Incite.
In particular, nurses will check the temperature of attendees as they enter the International Congress Center in Cancun, the venue of the meeting. This means that smokers and anyone leaving the venue for a snack will be checked each time they reenter the Congress Center. In addition to the temperature checking team, the corporation will increase the number of doctors on site (alongside the usual two medics at ICANN events).
The building will install several hand sanitizing facilities. In addition, the corporation is stockpiling face masks to be distributed to participants. However, ICANN complains about the shortage of masks due to the high demand and urges participants to bring their own.
Even so, with all the precautions planned, it cannot be ruled out that the meeting in Cancun will be canceled. According to ICANN President Goran Marby, the meeting probably won’t go ahead if only 600 or 700 people confirm that they want to participate. Some companies have already notified ICANN that they won’t be sending employees to the meeting, but the number of confirmed participants is unknown at this stage. Governmental Advisory Committee chair Manal Ismail said on Tuesday only 30 GAC members have so far indicated that they are going to attend – about half the usual amount.
