Coronavirus Concerns Prompt Lunar New Year Event Cancelation

ROCKVILLE, MD — A Lunar New Year celebration — scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1 — was canceled in response to community members' concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, according to Rockville city officials.

"The decision to cancel the event was made out of an abundance of caution in response to concerns about the coronavirus that have arisen from community members, event participants and the city's Asian Pacific American Task Force, which partners with the city to organize the annual celebration. The event will not be rescheduled," officials said in a statement.

A city spokeswoman told Patch that medical officials did not ask event planners to cancel the celebration at Rockville High School.

Patch has reached out to the Maryland Department of Health, but did not immediately receive a response.

So far, there are no confirmed cases of the virus in Maryland.

Rockville isn't the only city to cancel its Chinese New Year celebrations over communities' concerns about the coronavirus — a flu-like disease that originated in China.

The virus, which has killed 81 people in China and infected at least five in the United States, has also spurred cities like Baltimore, Denver, and Philadelphia to cancel their celebrations.