Toy Association Monitors Coronavirus Ahead of Toy Fair New York

coronavirusJanuary 28, 2020 | With international concerns growing over the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), The Toy Association is actively monitoring the situation ahead of the 117th annual Toy Fair New York and seeking all possible input from the City of New York, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and federal and state authorities. Members and show attendees will be alerted of developments as they unfold.

Here’s what we know right now (as of January 28):

Travel restrictions in place to prevent the spread:

  • The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Warning to avoid all nonessential travel to China and a Level 4 travel restriction on all travel to the Hubei province, which houses Wuhan where the virus was first detected. Chinese officials have also imposed quarantines and restricted travel throughout the country as well as some exit bans.
  • Hong Kong, which serves as an international production hub for many in the toy community, has also severely restricted travel from Mainland China. This includes the indefinite suspension of all flights and high-speed train services to and from the Hubei province/Wuhan region and enhanced health checks of all incoming travelers from the Mainland at all border control points.
  • The following major North American airports are establishing protocols and procedures to screen passengers entering the U.S.: Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport.
  • If you must travel to/from China before the show, you can find additional resources here.

Is it safe to travel to New York?

  • Yes. While officials say it is inevitable that the coronavirus will impact New York City – home to the largest Chinese population outside of Asia – no confirmed cases have been reported yet.

Can you contract the virus via imported packaged goods?

  • Based on CDC data of two other well-known coronaviruses, MERS and SARS, the risk of contracting the virus off a product or package shipped from China is extremely low. There is currently no evidence to support the spread of the virus through imported goods.

Click here to read The Toy Association's latest statements on the coronavirus.