In a statement issued March 3rd, the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) said that it is moving forward with plans for its annual Education Invitational, slated for May 27-31 in the Dominican Republic, but is closely monitoring information on communities with confirmed cases of Covid-19. Here is the message in its entirety.

We wanted to share a brief message regarding the emerging public health concerns posed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We are closely monitoring updates from local and national public health authorities regarding the situation in communities where cases of the virus have been confirmed.

In this time of uncertainty, it’s important to monitor updates and news from reputable sources. The Incentive Research Foundation is looking to three major reputable health organizations to provide guidance on events and activities during this period:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• World Health Organization (WHO)
  https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
  https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronavirus-china

At present, there is no information to suggest that there is an imminent risk to our Annual Education Invitational occurring in Cap Cana, May 27-31. Currently, as of March 3, 2020, there are only a limited number of confirmed cases in the United States, and one (1) confirmed case in the Dominican Republic. Based on what we know today and guidance of the WHO, CDC and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, we are moving forward with the Invitational as scheduled. Onsite during the event, you will notice that we’ve taken general precautions such as proactively providing hand sanitizer and tissues. We are also working with our host hotel, the Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, to implement additional sanitization efforts and are creating a risk management plan to assist attendees should they feel ill.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is working with state and local governments to implement aggressive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition, there are several easy ways that we can all help minimize the risk of exposure. These are the same basic steps we should be taking every day to help prevent the spread of illnesses such as the flu and the common cold:

• Wash your hands frequently. Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. In addition, having hand sanitizer readily available is always a good idea.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Put your used tissue in a waste basket immediately and wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, or who appear to have symptoms of a respiratory illness.
• A medical mask is not required if exhibiting no symptoms, as there is no evidence that wearing a mask – of any type – protects non-sick persons. If masks are to be worn, it is critical to follow best practices on how to wear, remove and dispose of them and on hand hygiene after removal.

With continued aggressive good hygiene, we can all do our part to help keep everyone healthy. We will continue to provide updates as the situation develops and new information becomes available. If you have ongoing concerns about your health and how it impacts your attendance at our event, please contact us at registration@theirf.org.

~ Incentive Research Foundation