The COVID-19 epidemic has forced the cancellation of several industry events and conventions, including GDC, EVE Fanfest, QuakeCon, E3, and most recently Gamescom. Despite this, the Penny Arcade team plans to host PAX West this September, at least for now. [The organizers told paxsite.com, "We tend to be pretty quiet this time of year, but we've received a few questions from fans and exhibitors, so at this point we want to let everyone know that we still plan to host a great PAX West this Labor Day weekend (September 4-7) I would like to let you know that we are still planning to have a great PAX West this Labor Day weekend (September 4-7). [Our top priority is always your safety, and that extends to public health issues as well. As this year progresses, we will continue to monitor the situation, work with health officials at all levels of government, and follow the CDC and WHO guidelines as they are released. Nevertheless, the actions already taken by our convention center and local government give us an optimistic outlook.

KOMO News reported last week that the number of COVID-19 cases in Washington State has "leveled off," although it has not yet declined. Dr. Timothy Dellitto, chief medical officer at the University of Washington, told the site that "hospitals are coping with the current surge levels," but he also warned that there is "cautious optimism" in the region, but that "we cannot let our guard down."

September is still five months away, enough time for things to change, but there is no guarantee that PAX West will not be canceled like other conventions in 2020.

Seattle now has a stay-at-home order in place until at least May 4. The Seattle Times reported yesterday that more than 2,000 protesters recently gathered at the Washington State Capitol to demand the order be lifted.