The public health anxieties surrounding the coronavirus in the U.S. are beginning to reach the intensity level previously seen elsewhere around the world. Meanwhile, the fears of an economic downturn that Donald Trump and his minions continue to try and pretend will go away if they stick their heads in the sand are getting harder to ignore. All of Disney’s theme parks in Asia, including Shanghai Disney, Tokyo Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea have been closed until further notice. South Korea’s National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art have also been closed due to COVID-19 fears. The Associated Press reported that France’s Louvre Museum will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
This makes sense, of course, as big tourist attractions are places where thousands of people from all over come together and intermingle every day. But it’s more than typical tourist destinations (like Gyeongbokgung Palace, where all “official guided tours are suspended until further notice”) being affected.
Barron’s reports that tech companies across the globe and across the board have scrapped conference events. For example, Facebook’s marketing conference, which is held every year at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, has been canceled. Also canceled at Moscone Center was the The Game Developers Conference, known as GDC. Other tech conference cancellations include the huge Mobile World Congress that was scheduled to happen in Spain, as well as events by Cisco and Intel.
And as Business Insider writes, fancy people are also being affected as “luxury events” take a coronavirus hit. High-end watch and jewelry show Baselworld has been postponed from May 2020 to January 2021. The Associated Press reported Saturday that France canceled its annual winter half marathon due to the virus, while bands like Green Day have canceled March tour dates throughout Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong.
Ironically (or just depressingly), big businesses and the wealthiest among us (and their paid-for elected officials) could save the economy from drastic downturns like this if they invested more in public health infrastructures and responses. But, in trying to pass the blame, they instead create unnecessary stumbling blocks in our ability to respond to and deal with emergencies.
Bad leadership exacerbates bad situations. Donald Trump and the billionaire class did not create the coronavirus, but their power clearly falls short of being able to ameliorate what’s happening now.
