Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame postpones induction ceremony over coronavirus
As the coronavirus outbreak continues to affect the world, the entertainment industry has had to adapt by canceling and postponing events. The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame has become one of the latest to announce a planned event will no longer proceed.
The Cleveland-based museum shared a statement from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame President Joel Peresman Thursday, notifying the public that their induction ceremony set for May 2 at Cleveland’s Public Hall has been postponed.
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The fan-dividing Class of 2020 includes Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G. and T. Rex. Currently, the Rock Hall is looking to reschedule at a later date.
“We are very disappointed to announce the postponement of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,” Peresman says. “Our first concern is to the health and safety of our attendees and artists and we are complying to the direction of the local and state authorities and common sense. We look forward to rescheduling the ceremony and will make that announcement at the earliest convenience.”
As of Thursday, five people in Ohio have tested positive for coronavirus. The first three were in Cuyahoga County where Cleveland is located, leading to a state of emergency. Since then, two more patients have been diagnosed in neighboring Stark and Trumbull counties. As of Wednesday, more than 1,2000 cases have been diagnosed nationwide.
Currently, there isn’t a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, but the Center For Disease Control has shared some preventive measures. These include staying home when you’re sick and avoiding close contact with others who are ill. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and discard immediately.
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On Dec. 31, 2019, several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China were reported to the World Health Organization. Wild animals sold at The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market were believed to be the source, so the business was closed by health authorities. Chinese scientists later suggested through a study that it was imported from elsewhere.
On Jan. 7, authorities identified it as the coronavirus or COVID-19. Four days later, the first death was confirmed in China. By Jan. 22, there are 547 confirmed cases in the country. China has since reached 80,552 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths.
On Jan. 30, the first person in the United States was confirmed to be infected by person-to-person transmission in Illinois. Since then, more than 225 coronavirus cases have been confirmed across the U.S. with 12 deaths as of Thursday. The House passed $8 billion in emergency funding to fight the virus Thursday.
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On Feb. 24, Marilyn Manson was among the first to cancel a trip to Asia with Live Nation revealing the shock rocker’s highly-anticipated performance at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo on March 18 was no longer happening. While neither Manson nor Live Nation released an official reason for the cancelation, it’s assumed it’s related to coronavirus concerns.
Four days later, Green Day postponed their Asian tour. Set to embark out on the Hella Mega tour in support of their latest album Father Of All…, the leg would’ve have taken them through Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and a few other notable dates.
Since then, Avril Lavigne, Set It Off, YUNGBLUD and Slipknot have also canceled their tours to Asia. Miami’s Ultra Music Festival postponed to 2021, and a petition to cancel SXSW began as corporate sponsors and artists such as Ozzy Osbourne and Trent Reznor pull appearances. The festival officially canceled the following day. Thursday night, the fourth person in New Zealand was diagnosed to have the coronavirus days after attending a Tool show.
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This week, Coachella shifted 6 months, My Chemical Romance postponed Japan shows and Washington and California enacted large event bans among other cancellations. Some festivals such as Reading & Leeds have shared they will be “going ahead as planned” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Concerns over the virus have also affected the film industry. Disney made the decision to postpone the live-action Mulan release date in China after nearly 70,000 theaters were closed. The next installment in the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die, was set to open April 10 but has since shifted worldwide to November.
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