Does anyone know if PAX West will require masks this year?
Last year it did and we were told after we had already purchased tickets. I'm not against people wearing them obviously, but if I have to then I should be told before I buy tickets.
Posted May 30, 2023, 3:51 PM UTC
This one must be a real tough call for Reedpop/PAX. One one hand, almost nowhere requires them anymore, on the other hand PAX has always been SUCH a germ fest, “PAX POX” is what we used to call it way before Covid. It’s even more germ-y than other big conventions in my limited experience, not sure why, I guess the slow lines/stationary breathing of the same air?
Also people touching game controllers, Vr headsets and board games.
The enforcers and exhibitors do their best to keep high touch items clean but germs gonna germ.
That’s the key. If the controllers were cleaned people would probably have fewer issues. They did a great job of it at East, but that was also fully masked.
They've been regularly cleaning the controllers since the swine flu of 2009. At least in the freeplay libraries anyway. Vendors did what they liked
Yup, I was referring to the vendors. They've done a great job the past couple of years.
PAXPox and concrud are mainly due to poor hygiene, diet, lack of sleep, etc... but also masks are kind of a dumb thing at this point as no where else will be enforcing it. Plus Covid crisis has officially ended.
I think more than this, surface contact at a place like PAX is by far the biggest issue. If you don't regularly wash your hands and face and you're interacting with ANYTHING in the con you're going to have a bad time.
I’ve never gotten sick at/after a PAX BUT I’m weird about hand washing always have been, I wash until my skin cracks sometimes. No idea why, just habit I picked up from mom I think. Anyway yes, contact is a huge part of it for sure.
Yeah, I mean, washing is just a mindful thing. Its the same with being in airports/etc. So many people are interacting with things and unfortunately PAX has a large community where hygiene is not top priority. So I just take a little extra care, wash/sanitize (don't do this too much you'll kill your hands if you don't moisturize) and just realize that it takes a little extra mindfulness.
PAX East this past March was still requiring masks to be worn indoors, even when other industries like airlines had stopped requiring them to be worn in flight. However, the CDC has stated pandemic is “officially” over, so ReedPop may no longer require it.
I'd trust airplane air over convention air any day.
I would agree but I’m certain I caught COVID on my flight back from PAX East. Was not fun…
So the thing about airplanes is once you're flying, the air is cycling so quickly that so long as you're not sharing a row with someone who is sick, you're probably pretty safe.
The problem is the 30+ minutes you sit on the tarmac at either end of the trip. That's when the air sits and stagnates and you catch everything.
NOTE: I am not a virologist and this is just information I've picked up colloquially. Please don't murder me if I'm wrong.
OR if you have to line up or gather around the gate for a while for small delays (they keep delaying by 5-10 minutes etc). It’s the airport/waiting, not the planes. I’m not a virologist but had to travel a lot for work throughout the pandemic so was paranoidly reading articles and that’s what I surmised
West currently does not have a mask requirement on their website. That obviously has the possibility to change, so if that is something that would prevent you from buying a ticket I would suggest you just wait until much closer to the show. That would mean risking not getting a ticket due to a sell out though.
Neither did East, but after tickets were sold we were notified it would be a fully masked event. Not a gamebreaker, just an inconvenience
Ahhhh yes the ole bait and switch.
unplugged is worse....
https://unplugged.paxsite.com/en-us/health-and-safety/accepted-proof-of-vaccination.html
They lorem ipsum'ed pax west from... 2022? 2021? so I have absolutely no idea.
Man, the site and app redesign they've been doing the last year - year and a half has been so halfassed.
Masks optional confirmed.
https://twitter.com/pax/status/1663983749443272736?t=q1Coplb6taqJGg4lbNRvrw&s=19
Thank you!!
With the caveat that this policy is subject to change if there is a Covid uptick closer to the event: https://twitter.com/pax/status/1663987079355801600?s=20
East did but I got the feeling that was the last one they'd be able to require it at. People have really moved on for better or worse. And with the prez declaring the heath issue "over" I'd be shocked.
I was mostly thinking of unplugged since that's the next one I'd attend, but I get the feeling West will be the same way.
This is Combo Breaker 23 from last weekend. Famine Expo a couple weeks ago was the same. Geek Girl Con this October just announced their mask requirement. It’s definitely doable, and geek/gaming conventions are the one large gathering leading the charge.
ReedPop didn't require masks at Emerald City Comic Con this year, and that was after enough ECCC 2022 vendors+attendees preemptively complained enough to get ReedPop to reinstate mandatory masking for that event. So if ECCC can successfully go mask-optional, surely PAX West will do the same.
ReedPop didn’t require masks at Star Wars Celebration in London so seems they might be moving away from it?
Mask mandate is over...I know seattle super liberal and many feel the mask is a symbol of their left affiliation but don't force me to wear one just like I won't care if you want to wear one. Last year at pax the forced mask mandate sucked...even the vendors hated it...only people who cared were the enforcers. Like this cloth mask dipping below my nose is gonna spread the virus that 30 people sitting unmasked in the eating area is not? SMH
Personally, I am happy with masking at Pax, getting the Pax Flu is never fun lol.
Honestly I’m gonna keep wearing one to future PAX events even if they don’t require them. I know the efficacy is a lot lower if no one else is wearing them, but I just feel better having one in such a big crowd at this point.
Plus, if nothing else, it’ll protect from some of the…smells
This is 100% exactly how it should be.
Everyone who is personally happy with masking at Pax should be encouraged to do so. And those who don’t care, shouldn’t have to.