SACRAMENTO, CA, January 18, 2022–Despite the presence of the Omicron variant, the latest modeling (January 17) projects the risk of COVID transmission during the January 25-27 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium at a rate of less than 2 cases per 10,000 guests, a figure below the CDC threshold for safe travel.
In light of the most recent COVID surge, the Unified’s management committee asked Epistemix, a computational modeling software company that develops simulations to model the spread of disease, to provide a new model based on the latest conditions. According to Dr. Lindsey Reiser of Epistemix, yesterday’s results show that because of the robust safety measures being put in place by Unified, guests attending next week’s show are four times less likely to be exposed to SARS-CoV-2, than in Sacramento County generally.
“Understandably, the national surge in COVID infections is alarming. And while Omicron appears to have peaked in the Northwest United States and will probably do so in California shortly, we want to make sure we’re doing everything possible to host a safe, informative opportunity for the industry to gather, meet and discuss emerging trends,” says John Aguirre, Unified LLC managing committee member. “We are reassured by these most current modeling results.”
In addition to hosting the Unified in Sacramento’s new SAFE Credit Union Convention Center with its state-of-the-art ventilation system, Unified organizers have ramped up safety measures to protect guests. These include:
- Required “Safe Expo” screening service prior to Convention Center entrance
- Required masking for all guests, participants and staff
- Proof of vaccination or evidence of a recent negative COVID test
- Availability of COVID testing on site
- Elimination of large-scale tasting events including the Tuesday reception, Wednesday regional wine tasting and Thursday lunch
Since August, the Unified Symposium’s management team has been working with Epistemix to develop mitigation strategies aimed at improving and ensuring the safety of this conference. Yesterday’s modeling results are just the latest in a series of tests the firm has conducted to help inform and guide the show’s organizers. The Unified Symposium will continue to work with Epistemix to provide regular updates and forecasts for attendees and exhibitors.
About Epistemix
Epistemix empowers leaders to make better decisions by simulating how diseases, ideas, and behavior spread through communities. We leverage decades of epidemiological experience, diverse datasets, and scientific best-practice to build computational models that forecast the health impacts of policy interventions so that organizations can take informed action. We are currently working with companies, event organizers, school districts, and state governments across the United States to evaluate opening strategies and gauge COVID-19 response. To learn more, visit www.epistemix.com.
About Unified Wine & Grape Symposium
Built with the joint input of growers, vintners and allied industry members, the Unified Symposium has served as a clearinghouse of information important to wine and grape industry professionals for 27 years. The Unified Symposium also hosts the industry’s largest trade show of its kind. For more information and to register, visit www.unifiedsymposium.org.
