With the cancellation of so many high profile festivals in the past 24 hours, eyes have now turned to the next obvious event on the chopping block: Coachella. With nearly 100,000 visitors a day over two weekends, and one of the most international attendances of any festival in the world, the concern amid covid-19, aka coronavirus, is a real one.
According to a report from NBC, Riverside County health and elected officials this morning “sought to quell public concerns about the coronavirus, noting that plans for the Coachella Valley’s upcoming major music festivals are still moving forward.”
“If we do make an emergency declaration based on changes in local conditions, as a public health officer I do have the ability to shut down such large gatherings,” the county’s health officer, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, said. “We would do so with as much lead time as possible.” 
This also included Stagecoach in Indio the weekend following Coachella.
However, we must also remember that the mayor of Miami-Dade County tweeted hours before Ultra was cancelled, “We’re not canceling any major events in Miami-Dade County, such as Ultra, following the guidance from Florida’s Surgeon General on #Coronavirus.” These decisions are often made quickly and with respect to residents’ safety and health.
For now, Coachella and Stagecoach are still going on as planned.
Photo via Coachella
