Canned! Coronavirus Chaos Causes Shutdowns Around The World
Feb. 28 2020, Published 6:47 p.m. ET
As coronavirus concerns continue to spread, more and more closures and cancellations of highly trafficked areas and events have been announced. Now you can add concert tours by Green Day and BTS to that list.
On Thursday, February 27, Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong announced on Instagram that the band’s upcoming shows in Asia have been halted “due to the health + travel concerns with coronavirus.” The statement noted, “We know it sucks,” and that the shows will be rescheduled.
Meanwhile, pop superstar group BTS announced that four shows in their home base of Seoul have been canceled as the number of people infected with the virus there has continued to grow.
In a message from its management company and translated from Korean, “We regret to announce that the BTS Map of the Soul tour, originally scheduled to be held on April 11, 12, 18 and 19 at Olympic Stadium, has been cancelled.”
It said the coronavirus outbreak, a WHO-designated global health emergency, “has made it impossible” to do the shows “at this time.” The decision was made based on “the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of guests as well as our artists and the dire impact a last-minute cancellation may have on guests from overseas, production companies and staff.”
As RadarOnline.com readers know, coronavirus — officially named COVID-19 — has infected more than 80,000 people around the world, claiming nearly 3,000 lives. And it shows no signs of slowing.
Check out this RadarOnline.com gallery to learn more about what has already been cancelled and closed around the globe, as the world reacts to the growing crisis.
Theme Parks Closing
Disneyland Japan and Universal Studios Japan will close on Saturday, February 29, and are not expected to open until at least March 15 to help curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the operators of the theme parks said.
This is the first time in nearly nine years the Tokyo Disney property has been forced to close. That shut down came after an earthquake and tsunami devastated the country.
Theme Parks Closed
China’s Shanghai Disneyland has been closed since January 25 and Hong Kong Disneyland closed a day later. Neither has yet announced plans to reopen.
While the parks are closed, the Disney hotels and monorails near the park remain open.
Movies
The theatrical releases of Oscar winners 1917, Jojo Rabbit, and Little Women were all postponed in Mainland China, victims of the growing coronavirus contagion.
‘Mission Impossible VII’
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It seems nothing can stop Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt from saving the day – except for the coronavirus. Filming of the seventh chapter of his hit franchise turned out to be a literal mission: impossible, when production in Venice, Italy was halted on February 25.
Filming was supposed to occur during the city’s Carnaval festivities. The studio is currently determining if the scenes will be rewritten or shot later to recreate the festival.
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra called off its tour of China, South Korea and Taiwan after organizers in China cancelled the Shanghai performance.
"Please know that we are all passionately committed to a future visit to East Asia soon," said the orchestra's music director in a statement. "Most importantly, our hearts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by the coronavirus."
The Asia trip would have been the BSO's 29th international tour and its first ever to Seoul.
Car Show
One of the biggest car shows in the world, the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, has been canceled after the Swiss government banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more due to concerns over the coronavirus. The ban is effective immediately and runs at least until March 15th. More than 600,000 people were supposed to attend the event starting on March 2.
“We regret this situation, but the health of all participants is our and our exhibitors’ top priority,” motor show chairman Maurice Turrettini said in a statement. “This is a case of force majeure and a tremendous loss for the manufacturers who have invested massively in their presence in Geneva. However, we are convinced that they will understand this decision.”
Casinos
Probably the most severe move to address the epidemic was Macau's decision to close all of its casinos for at least two weeks. The gambling industry accounts for 80 percent of the territory's revenue.
Korea Times Music Festival
Corona fears are even affecting events stateside, as organizers of the Korea Times Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl postponed the event, originally scheduled to take place on April 25.