The annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas has been canceled after concerns from public health officials and city managers due to the global outbreak of the coronavirus.
According to the Daily Mail, the decision became official after Amazon Studios, Netflix, Facebook, and Twitter dropped out of the festival. Celebrities such as Ozzie Osbourne and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails also canceled their appearances amid news of the virus. Interim Medical Director for Austin Public Health Dr. Mark Escott said in a statement that there is no evidence justifying the festival’s cancellation:
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‘Right now, there is no evidence that closing South by Southwest or other activities is going to make this community safer. We are constantly monitoring that situation. One of the concerns is that if we shut down or make the recommendation to shut down South by Southwest, people will still continue to come here but without that organizational structure that South by Southwest provides.’
Initially, the festival tried not to cancel due to the public health concerns but Mayor Steve Adler announced a state of emergency earlier today.
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An Update on SXSW 2020. Please follow the link in our bio to read our full statement.
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There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Austin. In the United States, there are more than 170 cases and 15 confirmed deaths.