Amid continued concerns about the coronavirus, more event cancellations and postponements were announced Tuesday, including the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
The book fair, annually attracting thousands of bookworms to the USC campus over two days, had been scheduled for April but will now be held Oct. 3-4, according to The Times. The paper also pushed back its 4th Food Bowl, which has been scheduled for May but will be held in a so far undetermined date in the fall.
“Whenever we host the public at our events, we take health and safety seriously,” according to a statement from The Times. “As we make plans to host the Festival of Books and Food Bowl in the fall, we will continue to monitor developments with the coronavirus in Southern California, and cross-reference with any guests who may be traveling to Southern California from affected areas to participate in our events.”
The paper’s Book Prizes ceremony, normally held in conjunction with the book festival, will be canceled, but the winners will still be announced as planned on April 17.
Earlier Tuesday, the city of Duarte announced that its 16th annual Cesar Chavez Community Project Day event, scheduled for March 28, has been canceled.
“Due to the recent concerns surrounding COVID-19, the corporate offices of Westminster Gardens have decided to place a hold on events taking place within its senior living communities, as the health, security and safety of their residents is their highest priority,” city officials said. “As a result, this has led to the decision to cancel the city’s annual Cesar Chavez community event.”
On Monday, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced that it has canceled plans for its 2020 Team USA Media Summit in downtown Los Angeles over concerns about the virus.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and in an effort to limit any potential exposure to the coronavirus, COVID-19, by Team USA athletes, members of the media, staff and volunteers, we have made the decision to postpone the 2020 Team USA Media Summit,” Luella Chavez D’Angelo, USOPC chief communications and marketing officer, said in a statement. “We are already at work exploring ways to recreate, or find new, opportunities for athletes and media — be they in-person or remote. We thank all who had planned to attend for their interest, support and understanding.”
The summit had been scheduled for March 15-18 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown Hotel, with more than 115 “Team USA hopefuls” for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo expected to participate. The event also attracts a wide array of journalists.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council announced that it was postponing its 29th annual Media Awards ceremony, which was set for April 6, although a venue had not yet been determined.
“There is no higher priority for us than the health, safety and physical well-being of our community and guests, so we have made the decision to postpone our 29th annual Media Awards until further notice,” Sue Obeidi, MPAC Hollywood Bureau director, wrote in a cancellation message. “The entertainment industry has rapidly responded to the CDC’s warning with a number of concerts, festivals, film and TV shoots and other events being canceled or rescheduled. These decisions are not a cause for alarm or panic, but are made in an abundance of caution to help prevent the spread of the virus, particularly at large gatherings.”
Also Monday, the California Charter School Association announced that it was canceling its annual conference, which was scheduled for March 16-19 in Long Beach, also due to the coronavirus.