Green Day, BTS cancel shows in Asia due to coronavirus concerns
The coronavirus is causing some performers to cancel concerts in Asia.
Green Day and K-pop group BTS have announced plans to postpone performances there.
Billie Joe Armstrong and company shared the news on Thursday, saying their upcoming shows in Asia have been halted “due to the health + travel concerns with coronavirus.” The statement noted, “We know it sucks,” and that the shows will be rescheduled.
And BTS — who have been in America, appearing on The Tonight Show and The Late Late Show this week — said that four shows in their home base of Seoul have been canceled as the number of people infected with the virus there has grown in recent weeks.
The news was shared via the group’s Twitter and said, in a message from its management company and translated from Korean, “We regret to announce that the BTS MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR – SEOUL Concert, originally scheduled to be held on April 11 (Sat), 12 (Sun), 18 (Sat) and 19 (Sun) at Olympic Stadium, has been cancelled.”
It said the coronavirus outbreak, a WHO-designated global health emergency, “has made it impossible” to do the shows “at this time.” The decision was made based on “the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of guests as well as our artists and the dire impact a last-minute cancellation may have on guests from overseas, production companies and staff.”
The coronavirus known as COVID-19, which is thought to have originated in Wuhan, China, has spread rapidly through Asia. There have been more than 83,000 confirmed cases with more than 2,800 deaths, the majority in China followed by South Korea. It is now in 60 countries total, including the U.S. This week, the first case of unknown origin — someone who hadn’t traveled aboard — was confirmed in Northern California.
Filming on the latest Mission: Impossible movie in Italy was also paused this week over concerns about the outbreak there. While franchise star Tom Cruise was not in the country, the crew was sent home. After China and South Korea, Italy is the third highest number of cases in the world.
Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson have been among those wearing masks while traveling. However, experts say it wouldn’t protect from the spread of virus.
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