Boston Symphony Orchestra cancels Asia tour over coronavirus outbreak; Hong Kong Arts Festival ‘disappointed’ – its concert was to have opened the festival
- Orchestra was to have played in four cities, including Shanghai, all of which have confirmed cases of coronavirus, which WHO has declared a global emergency
- Venue for its Hong Kong Arts Festival concerts has been closed indefinitely along with others hosting festival events
A major American symphony orchestra has cancelled its East Asia tour to four cities, including Hong Kong, citing concerns over the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra was to have opened the Hong Kong Arts Festival on February 12 in the first of two concerts in the city. However, the venue for the concerts, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and other public performance venues were closed indefinitely this week to avoid large gatherings of people when the Hong Kong government declared an emergency because of the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 200 people in China.
The four cities the orchestra had planned to perform in – Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Taipei – have all confirmed cases of the deadly virus South Korea reported the first local case of human-to-human transmission on Thursday.
Also on Thursday, the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency, prompting the US State Department to warn its citizens: “Do not travel to China.”
