Yesterday, word began to spread that an Enforcer, or convention staff member, died of COVID-19 after returning home from PAX East 2022. Reporting on COVID-19 cases emerging from the Boston convention started as early as during the actual show, prompting coverage from various news outlets without any official responses from PAX leadership. Late yesterday, a response was finally given following reports on the death of Dawn Wood and subsequent GoFundMe fundraiser.
Related: PAX Enforcer Dies of COVID-19 Following PAX East 2022, Family Starts GoFundMe Fundraiser
Fanbyte, which broke the first COVID-19 story during PAX East 2022, relayed the company’s response after it was dispersed. The full statement from PAX leadership is as follows:
Dawn was a beloved member of the Enforcer community who first joined us in 2014 and over the years Enforced in both the Expo Hall, supporting the Exhibitors and Attendees of the show, and in ‘Enforcerland,’ a department solely dedicated to supporting other Enforcers. She was a warm and welcoming presence, and someone who always took the time to help others. She loved PAX and gaming, she was a voracious reader, and she loved baking, crafting, and sharing her creations with others. Our community is devastated by her loss and she will be sorely missed.
Obviously, this statement says nothing about the safety policies or acknowledgment of the convention as a spreader event. And since most testimony has come from individuals on social media platforms, it’s hard to tell just what the scale of it has been. Either way, this event has shined a light back on the question of whether or not in-person events are safe.
Wood’s GoFundMe fundraiser has reached its initial goal and will continue to run until June 12, 2022.
