On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a global health emergency. The virus, now known as COVID-19, was first identified in January in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Confirmed cases are concentrated in China but have spread throughout Asia and, more recently, into Europe and other regions, including the United States and Canada. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 virus outbreak a pandemic.
A serious issue on the minds of PAMIC leaders, staff, and members relates to the impact the COVID-19 virus will have on the April 7 & 8, 2020 Claims Summit in Gettysburg, PA, and what actions PAMIC will be taking.
Concern for the health and safety of PAMIC membership and staff is paramount. PAMIC's Executive Committee will be meeting on March 16, 2020 to determine whether or not the Claims Summit will be held on its regularly scheduled dates, postponed to a later date in 2020, or cancelled. PAMIC will notify you when a final decision is made regarding the Claims Summit. Thank you for your patience as we gather information to make an informed decision.
Absent federal travel restrictions and/or local, state, or regional decisions to close venues, PAMIC has not decided to cancel or postpone the 2020 Claims Summit. PAMIC is committed to maintaining all appropriate sanitary, health, and safety measures and encourage attendees to follow guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
We are in daily discussions with the event location (Wyndham Gettysburg) to make sure that they are taking appropriate actions to mitigate the spread of the virus. Additionally, PAMIC is planning on providing effective disinfectants (hand sanitizers, wipes, and spray sanitizers) at the Claims Summit. PAMIC is also looking at our administrative policies with an eye toward ensuring fair treatment of our members.
PAMIC takes the COVID-19 virus seriously. What is PAMIC doing?
Visit our COVID-19 webpage for more information and additional guidance: https://www.pamic.org/covid19
As the impact of COVID-19 evolves, you can count on PAMIC to continue to share news and updates as well as how it impacts the PAMIC community. And in the immediate term, PAMIC encourages attendees at our meetings as well as staff to practice good health habits.
If there are any changes to event schedules, we will provide information to registrants about virtual options that may be available and/or other specific details.
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More Information and Resources:
World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
CDC Guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Pa Department of Health: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx
