San Francisco bans large events due to coronavirus; Tame Impala & more shows postponed
The World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus a pandemic today, and with around 100 cases in California’s Bay Area, including at least 14 in San Francisco itself, city mayor London Breed has announced a temporary ban on large events of 1000 people or more, as The Hill reports. The ban will be in effect for two weeks, until March 21, at which point it will be reassessed and reauthorized if necessary, the mayor’s office says.
“We know that this order is disruptive, but it is an important step to support public health,” Breed says. “We’re following the recommendations of public health officials to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. This order mirrors actions being taken by other local governments and is informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.”
The ban impacts a few concerts at the city’s Chase Center, including a Tame Impala show with Clairo originally scheduled for March 13, a Post Malone show with Swae Lee scheduled for March 19, and a Bell Biv DeVoe show scheduled for March 21. Tame Impala and Bell Biv DeVoe’s shows have both been postponed, with new dates TBA, while a decision is still forthcoming about Post Malone’s show.
In Paris, Nada Surf got around a similar ban by playing two separate shows on the same night, as Reuters reports. It remains to be seen how other venues in the city will handle the ban.
