Elk Grove Lunar New Year Celebration Canceled Due To Coronavirus Risk
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — Elk Grove's much anticipated Lunar New Year celebration was canceled due to concerns over the Coronavirus which has infected more than 4,000 people in China.
The city and its Diversity and Inclusion Commission said in a Facebook post on Monday, that the event was canceled "out of an abundance of caution" regarding the coronavirus. This was going to be the second year of the event, and the first time it was going to be held at District 56.
The Sacramento County Public Health office says the risk of Novel Coronavirus remains low in our area, but Elk Grove organizers said they are following the lead of similar events in Sacramento that were canceled.
Last year, more than 700 people attended the event at the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation. But this year, news that the Coronavirus has infected thousands in China and killed 106, has leaders thinking twice.
"We have been talking with the Sacramento County Health Department and they have assured us that it is still a low-risk in California, so by doing what we did today, by no means do we intend to try and incite panic," Kristyn Laurence with the City of Elk Grove said.
Thirty percent of Elk Grove's population is Asian or Pacific Islander and they planned to have performers representing the various cultures at the event. Many in the Asian community have voiced concerns about hundreds of people inside a closed indoor space like District 56.
"Because with all this going on, people are coming from China, Japan, and everything like that. So what's going to happen if this thing's going to happen? If they are here from a different country?" Jinky Dolar with the City of Elk Grove said.
With 110 people already infected in the United States, it's a precaution that some schools and churches are also taking.
"We are thinking about rescheduling or canceling depending on how it goes. I think a lot of people will be scared. I'm scared myself, I have children it's for protection," resident Sook Mei said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring the outbreak of the coronavirus that started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. You can learn more about the CDC's efforts here.
