The massive 10-day South by Southwest music, film and technology festival that was set to begin March 13 in Austin, Texas, was canceled Friday due to concerns of the coronavirus.
The five-day World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play that brings together 64 of the best golfers in the world in the Violent Crown City beginning March 25, however, is still a go.
“The PGA Tour is very mindful of concerns regarding the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 in light of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play being held in three weeks in Austin,” the PGA Tour said on Friday in a statement. “Our number one priority is the health and safety of our tournament teams, volunteers, players, fans, sponsors and anyone associated with the event.
“We have been and are continuing to monitor the developing situation closely through updates from the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization. Based upon current knowledge and their recommendations on planning for mass gatherings, we are proceeding as scheduled with the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play later this month. We will continue to review the available information with authorities and take appropriate action as advised.”
The South by Southwest, which drew nearly 300,000 in 2019 and has been a staple in Austin for more than 30 years, was canceled when Austin mayor Steve Adler declared the area a local disaster in a news conference on Friday despite no confirmed cases of the virus in Austin. The festival was set to deliver a wide range of draws including rocker Ozzy Osbourne, former presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton, Beto O’Rourke and Andrew Yang as well as Kim Kardashian West and filmmaker Judd Apatow.
Many companies had already pulled out of the festival prior to the cancellation, including Facebook, Amazon, Apple, IBM and Netflix.
But the PGA Tour’s second WGC of the year remains on schedule. The Tour has established protocols for the safety of fans, volunteers and players, including equipping the event with extra hand-sanitizing stations at all restroom locations, along with stations positioned in high-traffic fan zones and in the volunteer headquarters.
Fans will be permitted to bring hand sanitizer into the tournament. Also, heightened cleaning practices with disinfectant in restrooms and food-vending areas will take place each night.
Further, the Tour said out of an overabundance of precaution, “some players may decline to sign autographs at the event. This is out of respect for the health and well-being of all involved, and the PGA Tour and its players greatly appreciate your understanding.”
The Tour said it will monitor the situation on a daily basis and will provide further updates as new information becomes available.
