Event 201

Event 201 was a high-level pandemic exercise conducted on October 18, 2019, in New York City. It was designed to simulate a global response to a hypothetical pandemic scenario for a coronavirus outbreak called CAPS (Coronavirus Associated Pulmonary Syndrome). The event aimed to identify potential challenges in preparedness and response efforts and to foster collaboration between governments, businesses, and public health organizations.

It was organized by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These organizations collaborated to create a scenario that would help participants, drawn from various sectors, understand the potential impact of a severe pandemic.

The event took place at The Pierre Hotel in New York. The participants consisted of an exercise team (lead and members), the players and an invite-only audience. It lasted for 3.5 hours. The exercise consisted of pre-recorded news broadcasts, live “staff” briefings, and moderated discussions on specific topics.

Roughly two months later the first cases of COVID-19 appeared.

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