Organizers of a nuclear waste and cleanup industry event held last week in Phoenix said Monday that one participant has subsequently been tested for coronavirus infection and another is self-isolating for 14 days after developing flu-like symptoms.
There was no word at deadline for Weapons Complex Morning Briefing on whether one or both of the two Waste Management Symposia attendees had tested positive for novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease.
“Out of an abundance of caution, WMS thought it was advisable to notify all of the conference attendees of this development so that you can comply with any instructions you are receiving from your employers or relevant health officials,” James Gallagher, board chairman for Waste Management Symposia, wrote in a statement to participants. “If you begin experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, please consult the guidelines from the CDC and your local and state health departments.”
The annual conference this year drew less than 2,100 government officials, industry representatives, and researchers from the United States and other nations to the downtown Phoenix Convention Center. Attendance was down by about 200 from 2019, WMS Director Jan Carlin said last week.
The conference went ahead even as other large events were canceled that week over COVID-19 concerns, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Regulatory Information Conference in North Bethesda, Md., just outside Washington, D.C. At the time, Waste Management Symposia organizers said they had taken steps to prevent exposure to the virus, including keeping a medic on-site and distributing large amounts of hand sanitizer.
“If you are experiencing the symptoms associated with the coronavirus and particularly if you are confirmed as having COVID-19, please advise WMS of this so we can update our notifications to public health officials,” Gallagher wrote.
As of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 3,487 COVID-19 cases in the United States and 68 deaths. An employee of Hanford Site support services contractor Mission Support Alliance was being tested last week for possible infection. That individual’s status was not immediately known.
