The Chapel Hill LIGHTUP festival celebrating the Chinese New Year has been postponed due to concerns stemming from the recent spread of a virus.
The Twitter account for the event posted on Monday about the decision to postpone from its scheduled date of Sunday, February 2, saying the recent outbreak of a coronavirus in China led organizers to err on the side of caution when hosting the festival.
Chapel Hill Town Council member Hongbin Gu, who is one of Chapel Hill LIGHTUP’s organizers, said the event consulted Orange County’s health department and infectious disease experts before making its decision to postpone. While the likelihood of a coronavirus case happening in the community is low, she said the postponement was made with people’s health in mind.
“This year’s flu season, we have some pretty serious flu cases in the community already,” said Gu. “On top of that, with this new outbreak of coronavirus, we can understand the increased concern in the community.”
Coronavirus refers to a family of viruses that can cause the common cold and more serious illnesses. This outbreak is from a new type, originating from the Chinese city of Wuhan. Since its discovery, more than 100 people have died from the outbreak in China and thousands more have been diagnosed.
Gu said the virus and the fatalities caused by it are weighing heavily the Chinese American community during a time often used for celebrating the new year. She said photos from China, which normally would be in the midst of its peak travel season, of emptier streets and canceled celebrations are difficult to see back here in Chapel Hill.
“At this time, lots of members of our communities are consumed by this news, understandably,” Gu said. “Some of have family members, some have close friends, some of them have colleagues fighting in the front line of the Wuhan province [against] this epidemic.
Organizers planned for the LIGHTUP festival to be held at the 140 West Franklin Street plaza and 200 West Franklin Street for Sunday afternoon and evening. In the past, the festival has featured traditional Chinese dances and martial arts performances, as well as lantern decoration for the thousand-lantern parade once the sun sets.
There has been no further announcement of a rescheduling date for the Chapel Hill LIGHTUP festival. More details on the event can be found on its website.
Photo via Chapel Hill LIGHTUP on Facebook.
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