The city of San Francisco has banned all non-essential group activities in city-owned facilities for a two-week period in an effort to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus, according to an order issued by the Department of Public Health on Saturday, March 7.

The order effects events in the following buildings that are owned by the City: City Hall, Moscone Center, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, New Conservatory Theatre (25 Van Ness Ave.), War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, the San Francisco Public Library, Pier 27 and Pier 35.

The “non-essential group event” order applies to gatherings of more than 50 people for social, cultural or entertainment purposes. The order will be effective until March 20.

The only event scheduled at Moscone Center, the city’s largest convention facility, for that period was the Game Developers Conference. Organizers of that event had already agreed to postpone it until the summer after multiple exhibiting companies pulled out.

See a complete list of canceled events in the Bay Area.

Lizzie Johnson and Aidin Vaziri are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com, avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn, @MusicSF