Canceled! 2020 Met Gala No More Amid Coronavirus Crisis
The Costume Institute of Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the cancellation of the 2020 Met Gala.
On March 16, the organization behind one of the most awaited fashion events in Hollywood announced that the threat of the coronavirus epidemic has led them to their decision.
No More Met Gala
The 2020 Met Gala has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. An internal email was sent to the staff of the event on Monday afternoon. In the communications, it was stated that the museum will remain close starting Saturday, March 14 up to April 4.
According to the news released by Vogue, the decision of the management of the museum and the organizers of the Met Gala came on the heels of the guidelines released by the Center For Disease Control and Prevention. It is in line with the efforts of the government to combat the coronavirus and stop it from spreading further
Anna Wintour, the editor in chief of Vogue magazine, wrote in her letter that the organizers of the Met Gala are coordinating with the government in its effort to reduce the number of people contracting the virus. This year's theme was supposed to be "About Time: Fashion and Duration."
"Due to the unavoidable and responsible decision by the Metropolitan Museum to close its doors, 'About Time" and the opening gala night will be postponed at a later date," Wintour said.
Although the new date for the Gala has not been set, it is with great effort that the organizers hope it would still push through. Like everyone else, they remain hopeful that the officials would be able to contain the virus, minimize its victims, and hopefully combat it with more knowledge as to how it affects people's health.
It Is Not Just the Met Gala
The Met Gala may be one of the most awaited events in Hollywood, but it is not just the event that has been recently canceled. Over the weekend, the U.S. government highly encouraged the cancellation of any gathering expecting 50 or more participants for the next eight weeks.
In line with this mandate, the museum decided that all events and programs from today through May 15 will be postponed if not canceled.
Several movie premieres and other activities in Hollywood have already been postponed at a later date. The production of several films and television programs have been put on hold to ensure the safety and security of everyone, particularly the celebrities and the staff they are working with.
As of Monday, March 16, Bill de Blasio, the mayor of new York City, has advised all schools, daycare, restaurants, bars, and other non-essential businesses to close. Pharmacies, hospitals, and grocery stores are excluded from the mandate as they are considered essential at this time of health crisis.
Although restaurants are still allowed to cater to takeout and delivery services, they are advised not to take in customers in their facilities. This is to ensure that the possible exposure of people to the deadly virus is limited to a minimum.
In addition, a curfew from 8 pm to 5 pm was put in place for all residents of New York to ensure everyone's safety at this time.
The Met's decision came soon after the museum announced that two of their staff members have experienced flu-like symptoms. More and more celebrities who have attended the Met Gala in the previous years have come forward to admit that they tested positive of the coronavirus.
Tom Hanks, wife Rita Wilson and Idris Elba all tested positive for the coronavirus. Yet despite that, the government continues to exhaust its efforts to prevent the spread of the disease any further.
