The city of Austin takes steps to prohibit mass gatherings:
In light of mass COVID-19 fears nationwide and locally, the City of Austin has announced mass gatherings are prohibited through May 1 — with exceptions.
In an announcement on Monday, the City of Austin says it’s following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in focusing on large gatherings.
The City says that through May 1, events with 2,500 or more people are prohibited unless organizers are able to assure Austin Public Health that “mitigation plans for infectious diseases are in place.”
KXAN.com
I supported the cancellation of SXSW and agree that this is the correct measure for the city to take at this time. Currently there are no reports of the virus in Austin but considering our close ties to the coasts and international cities like Seattle it’s only a matter of time.
Currently there are efforts underway to promote support for local businesses facing the negative economic impact from the cancellation of SXSW.