COVID-19 keeps crossing borders, infecting more than 100,000 people worldwide. It is weaving itself deeper into the daily lives of millions around the globe. Its threat is turning out to be bad for business across South Florida.

The new virus is affecting major public events in South Florida in a month where a lineup of world-renown festivals happen in some of the state’s largest cities—Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.

City of Miami leaders canceled Calle Ocho as the concern over preventing the spread of the coronavirus grows. Billed as America’s largest Hispanic street party, the Calle Ocho Festival is a staple of the Hispanic cuisine traditions in the city, culture, and music over a 20-block stretch of the iconic Little Havana. The City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said the city’s decision was based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on mass gatherings of 25,000 people or more.

- Advertisement -

Ultra Music Festiva was postponed to March 26 through 28 of 2021. This year, organizers were expecting EDM fans from more than 100 countries.

In an official note on its website, Ultra Festival wrote, “We completely understand how extremely frustrating this is because so many of you are looking forward to coming to Ultra, having already made travel arrangements. This is, however, an unprecedented issue which is not being taken lightly, and we must continue to defer to the authorities for guidance. Ultimately, there is no higher priority for us than the health, safety and physical well-being of each of you, together with everyone else involved in the production of the event.”

“They have a number of logistical complications with those decisions that may make postponement difficult for this year, so we will be working with them on mitigating factors for the impact for those events going forward,” Suarez said.

“If you are bringing in a bunch of people from all over the world and there is a potential of 50-100 cases. So, I think it is a prudent decision to make,” Florida US Senator Marco Rubio reacted to the cancellation of the electronic music festival.

- Advertisement -

Other events like Jazz In The Gardens in Miami Gardens, Greater Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, and The Palm Beach International Boat Show in West Palm Beach are still to happen as scheduled.

Miami Open organizers quelled any fears of the tennis tournament being canceled, releasing the following statement:

“The 2020 Miami Open is moving forward as scheduled, March 23 – April 5. Safety remains a top priority, and we are monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely with local, state and federal health organizations in the lead up to the tournament. In addition, we are working with our medical partner Baptist Health and following CDC guidelines closely to ensure a safe environment for fans, players and staff.”

This week, the number of cases passed 230 people scattered across 18 the U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a trip to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta even as he prepared to sign a $8.3 billion bill for vaccines, tests, potential treatments, and to help state and local governments.

The new virus, known to affect the elderly more than other groups, has spread to about 90 countries.

—