The zoonotic origins of COVID 19 and countries’ reactions to the pandemic raise important questions about the future of protected areas. First, does the threat of virus spillover events after all call for a stricter separation of nature and people despite all justified criticism of fortress conservation approaches? Second, how can conservation funding cope with dumps in international wildlife tourism? We will discuss these questions in the format of a digital roundtable with experts in protected areas from different backgrounds. We will include practical examples of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on protected areas and aim to provide policy-oriented conclusions that could feed into the protected areas work at the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress and CBD COP 15.