Look, but don’t touch: Coronavirus prompts Raleigh LEGO event to cancel interactive areas
Several interactive attractions at this weekend’s BrickUniverse LEGO Fan Expo are being replaced with “epic” (and non-touchable) LEGO displays as a coronavirus precaution.
“There will be less things to touch at the event and instead, more epic LEGO things to see,” according to the event website.
The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Raleigh Convention Center downtown. Festivities originally were scheduled to include LEGO displays, LEGO artists, LEGO vendors, a building zone and interactive play areas.
Refunds are not being offered, according to the website.
North Carolina announced its first coronavirus patient on Tuesday — a Wake County man who traveled to a Washington nursing home where there has been an outbreak of the illness.
“We are monitoring the situation and will continue to take our cues from the local and state government and health officials,” according to the Lego website. “Per the Wake County Government: at this point in time, the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 in North Carolina is still low. (Wednesday) the Wake County Division of Public Health has recommended that organizations DO NOT cancel events and festivals. We will continue to monitor the Wake County Division of Public Health recommendations and will adjust our protocols as the situation warrants.”
Other precautions the expo will take include:
- Staff wearing gloves during the event.
- Discontinuing the use of hand stamps for re-entry. People should keep their ticket for it to be re-scanned if they want to reenter during their time frame.
- Additional hand sanitizer will be available,
The organization stressed that people who are sick should not attend the event and will be offered a ticket to 2021’s Raleigh convention. Those dates have yet to be set but people can contact info@brickuniverse.org before the start of the show.
The 2020 International Festival, a popular triangle festival, postponed its weekend plans for a least a year.
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This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 10:17 AM.
