Coronavirus prompts Orlando conference to go ‘handshake free,’ suggests fist bumps, elbow taps

A conference at Walt Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort wants its attendees to lay off the handshakes and opt for fist bumps and elbow taps.

© Ryan Gillespie

It’s a response to growing concern over the spread of COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus, in one of the largest tourist destinations in the world.

Officials with the RadTech conference, a meeting of ultraviolet and electron beam professionals, posted a notice on its website. The conference is scheduled for March 8-11.

“RadTech is closely monitoring the Coronavirus outbreak and continues to provide regular updates,” the posting read, going on to say that the conference would go on as scheduled. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has publicly deemed the health risk of coronavirus for the general American public to be low at this time.”

In the U.S., about 100 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and six people have died.

“While the risk remains low at this time, RadTech 2020 will be a handshake-free meeting,” the post continued. “We recommend the fist bump or the elbow tap. The health, safety and well-being of the community is our highest priority.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed Tuesday that a third “presumptively positive” case has been reported in Florida, where none have died of the virus.

On Monday, Orange County officials held a news conference to update the community on the coronavirus’ impact on Central Florida.

They said agencies are preparing for the worst but that less than 10 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Orange County, with zero testing positive.

Orange County Convention Center’s Executive Director Mark Tester said Monday that he had seen more fistbumps at the venue, which attracts more than 1.5 million people to trade shows and megaconferences a year.

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