Ciara Postpones Concert Due to Coronavirus Scare
Ciara, the Grammy-winning singer behind iconic hits "Level Up" and "1, 2 Step," is the latest musician to postpone a concert because of the coronavirus outbreak, according to an article by Breitbart.
Pregnant with her second child, the 34-year old musician was supposed to perform at the grand opening of the new Fort Hood USO in Texas on March 19 but announced Saturday the postponement of the event.
"With the continued spread of the coronavirus throughout the U.S., as a pregnant woman, my doctors have advised me to limit travel and large group gatherings," Ciara said in a statement. "I am disappointed I won't be able to return this month to the place where I was born, Ft. Hood Texas, and put on the amazing show we had planned."
According to Ciara, Fort Hood USO's grand opening will be moved in the summer and the concert will be rescheduled for later this year.
"I urge everyone to be diligent in taking steps to stay healthy and safe," Ciara said.
As of March 6, there were already 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Texas, according to an article by CNN. Two cases were announced in Fort Bend on March 6, four were reported in Harris County on March 5, and one was reported in Fort Bend County on March 4.
Five of the COVID-19 patients were "among a group that traveled overseas together," the Texas Department of State Health Services said March 6.
Harris County has also identified a presumptive positive case, particularly a woman between the age of 60 and 70, according to a press release from Harris County Public Health.
A day before Ciara's announcement, the organizers of Austin's South by Southwest announced they had cancelled the annual arts and technology festival.
Also read: Ciara Kicks Fan During Lap Dance Performance
The three-day Ultra electronic dance music festival, originally planned for March 20-22 in Miami that would have featured artists like David Guetta, The Chainsmokers and more, was officially postponed Thursday.
Mariah Carey also announced the rescheduling of her March concert in Honolulu to November due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
Other artists who plan to hold their shows outside the United States, have either postponed or cancelled their events.
Queen and Adam Lambert's Paris tour stop was postponed, while Maluma and Louis Tomlinson have announced that they would no longer perform shows in Milan.
Meanwhile in Asia, several acts including BTS, Green Day, Avril Lavigne and Khalid, have also cancelled or postponed live shows.
Also read: Coronavirus: How to Keep Yourself Safe and Healthy Amid the Outbreak
Federal officials said state governments are working to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., holding more tests to detect the illness.
As of Sunday night, there were at least 565 cases and 21 deaths in the United States across 34 states and the District of Columbia.
That figures include 495 people diagnosed through the US public health system, while the 70 people were repatriated to the US, 46 of them came from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, 21 on the Grand Princess cruise ship and three from China.