Over the past two months, the outbreak of Covid-19, popularly known as the Coronavirus has spread across the globe, causing a huge pause in the events happenings around. The outbreak started in China, and has now made its way to Europe, and the US - with other countries around the world also receiving similar outbreak threats.

Covid-19 has affected a lot of parts of the beverage industry. The virus has been the major cause of Prowein cancelling their 2020 show, IBWSS China postponing their 2020 show, and other alco-bev brands being at the receiving end of dropped sales.

Check out updates on Covid-19 from the health department

However, there are also a lot of events and businesses which are still running and taking place - as ‘lockdown’ hasn’t become the charge of action everywhere across the globe. Businesses have not put themselves to a stop, and lots of events are still taking place.

Of course, the Covid-19 virus isn’t one that we can fight physically - but precautions need to be taken to avoid the virus as much as possible. It’s hard to do so, since Covid-19 is an airborne virus, but it’s always better to be careful.

You know what they say, prevention is better than cure.

Here are a couple of things you can do while attending events during the Covid-19 scare:

1. Find out about the environment

Before attending an event, ask the organizer these questions.

• Where is it taking place?
• What’s around the venue?
• Is there an emergency evacuation plan set up?
• Is there going to be medical help there?

This way, you will be prepared for what has to be done, just in case something takes place. Knowing the perimeter of the venue will also help you figure out if you should actually attend the event or not. Think of it this way, if the event is in a desert in Palm Springs, then the virus will spread easier over there, so it’s better not to go anyway.

2. Stick to smaller gatherings

The Covid-19 virus is said to spread faster in a larger gathering, due to the probability of the number of sick people being higher than a smaller gathering. In fact, all gatherings with 5000 people and more are being postponed/cancelled. So make sure you tick out any event with an extremely large gathering, and stick to the smaller events. This way, you will be getting your business done, but will also be taking precautions at the same time.

3. Carry your own supplies

A well organized event will provide you with disposable face masks and surgical sanitizer, however, it’s always better to carry your own. In events, at times, things get put in different places - so you wouldn’t know how the masks and sanitizers are being handled.

It’s always better to carry your own set of masks and sanitizer, so you know that you have the clean and safe ones with you. If you’re going to be tasting and touching products, it’s best to carry a set of gloves as well.

Make sure you use the N95 respirator mask for full protection.

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4. Don’t touch anything

Avoid touching your face, nose, mouth, and eyes with your hands - especially in a public gathering. Germs get attracted easily in an open gathering, and your hands might not be clean all the time. Along with not touching yourself, avoid touching any other thing at the event as well, especially if you don’t have gloves.

Most importantly, keep away from metal, staircases, banisters and balconies. If you think you’re going to be touching things, then carry your own set of gloves as mentioned above.

5. Limit in-person contact

Avoid direct interaction with others at a gathering. Keep your interaction to a minimum. We know, easier said than done, but try avoiding it as much as you can. If you’re interacting with others, make sure you have your mask, sanitizer, and gloves with you - just in case.

As a business, we can’t stop functioning. So, these tips are set out to help you attend events and take the precaution needed to drift away from Covid-19. But keep in mind, if you’re sick, even with a cold or a cough, don’t attend any events. In fact, use it to your advantage and stay under your covers!