Auckland Pasifika Festival has been cancelled over concerns the event could spread coronavirus to Pacific Island nations.

Mayor Phil Goff made the announcement on Friday morning, ahead of the event, which celebrates Pacific Island communities and was to open at Western Springs on Saturday.

There have been five confirmed cases of coronavirus in New Zealand, all in Auckland.

Peter Meecham In 2015, Pasifika Festival had to be moved to Hayman Park, Manukau in South Auckland due to a fruit fly outbreak.

It comes after the World Health Organisation officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic, but emphasised it was not too late for countries to act.

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It's the second year in a row Pasifika has been cancelled, after it was halted last year following the Christchurch mosque shootings.

Health authorities said there was a low risk of coronavirus spreading at the festival, but council was not willing to take the chance, Goff said.

Goff said: "Should there be transmission at the festival, there will be hundreds of people coming from the Pacific who will return to their homes."



A recent outbreak of measles, which had a devastating effect on Samoa, was considered in the decision.



"We were simply not prepared to take the risk that holding Pasifika might be responsible for [coronavirus] spreading into the Pacific," Goff said.



"This does not mean all large gatherings of people across Auckland will be cancelled, we will continue to take advice and take into account what is happening with Covid-19 in New Zealand."

Reacting to the news, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said as the gateway to the Pacific, New Zealand had a responsibility to protect the health of Pacific Islanders.

Gareth Cooke/Subzero Images Pasifika Festival was due to take place on March 14 and March 15 at Western Springs. (file photo)

Pasifika had been cancelled because of the risk to those countries, she said.

The event, billed as the largest secondary school Polynesian festival in the world, is due to begin in south Auckland on March 18.

No decision has been made on whether Polyfest would go ahead.

An event spokesperson said unlike Pasifika, there was no international travel involved in the domestic event.

"Organisers are still discussing plans for next week."

Pacific Peoples Associate Minister Carmel Sepuloni said the decision to cancel Pasifika was a sad one, but New Zealand had a responsibility towards its neighbours.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment warned the large number of people travelling from the Pacific for the event and scale of the festival — about 60,000 people — would make contact tracing for coronavirus incredible difficult, she said.

"It's quite heartbreaking for all of us to make this decision, but it had to be made.

"We know the challenges of health conditions and healthcare systems in the Pacific, we don't want to be in a position where we're hosting an event where we could be contributing to that."



More than 400 local and international performers were due to take part in the weekend's annual show.

In 2015, the event was moved from its Western Springs location to Manukau City Centre's Hayman Park due to a Queensland fruit fly outbreak.

After the first confirmed coronavirus case, Goff called for Aucklanders to remain calm - saying the city's health services were well prepared.