The 2023 Pokemon World Championships may have been fun, but several figures in the Pokemon community say they got COVID-19 after the event. Read on to find out the details.
Pokemon World Championships 2023: Serebii Joe, Poketuber Among Those Struck by Covid After Event
Poketuber Says ‘Insane’ Number of People Coughed Without Cover at ‘Worlds’
If you’re one of those who made the trip to the 2023 Pokemon World Championships in Japan, then you might want to get tested for COVID-19. The webmaster of the Pokemon info website Serebii.net Serebii Joe, well-known Pokemon YouTuber REVERSAL, and other members of the Pokemon community have said on social media that they tested positive for Covid shortly after attending the event, which was held in Yokohama from August 11 to August 13.
REVERSAL was among the first to confirm that he tested positive for COVID-19 in a tweet he posted on August 14, 2023. In a post replying to his initial confirmation on the 15th, he said that many people coughed at the event without covering their mouths.
On the same day, Serebii.net’s webmaster Serebii Joe, or Joe Merrick, tweeted that he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 as well. Serebii Joe was covering the world championships. Merrick’s wife, Marti, also tweeted about the number of people who were coughing uncovered at the event.
Multiple photos and videos online show that many of those who attended this year’s Pokemon World Championships were not wearing face masks. There were also instances of attendees not practicing social distancing. While we found official guidelines detailing rules for Covid at live Pokemon events, things are murky as to whether they were enforced at the world championships. Though the world has largely moved on from preventative measures for COVID-19, it’s clear that the virus is still being passed around.
Pokemon Fans Call on ‘Worlds’ Goers to Get Tested, Hosting Body Mum on Covid Cases
Following news of COVID-19 cases at the ‘Worlds’ event, several Pokemon fans online called on those who attended to get tested before visiting other Pokemon events, such as the upcoming 2023 Pokemon GO Fest in New York City on August 18 to 20.
As of this writing, The Pokemon Company and Play! Pokemon, the division responsible for hosting Pokemon-related live events such as the Pokemon World Championships, has yet to release a public statement on the matter.
After being canceled for two consecutive years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Pokemon World Championships only started again in 2022 in London. By this time, however, Play! Pokemon had already removed mandatory Covid vaccination and masking requirements from its live event guidelines.
In its COVID-19 protocols document, which is currently not accessible via the Play! Pokemon website and can only be accessed via the Wayback Machine, the hosting body explained that "a number of factors, including increasing vaccination rates and changes to local laws" prompted the removal of mandatory vaccination and masking at events. Though it added that it "reserve(d) the right to make changes to this policy."
It is unclear whether or not Play! Pokemon has come out with new COVID-19 guidelines for its live events. The next Pokemon World Championships will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2024.
