By now, just about everyone across the globe would have heard about the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Originating in Wuhan, China, this virus, closely related to the SARS virus of 2002 – is thought to have developed in wild animals and is now evidently transmitted via human to human contact and is highly contagious. To date there has been over 83,000 cases reported internationally, and 2,858 deaths. (1). There are now travel restrictions to and from mainland China. Despite this, and strict quarantine measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus, infections and in some instances death from this virus have been recorded across Asia, parts of Europe, Australia the USA and even South America (Brazil).
The World Health Organization is yet to declare a pandemic – even though authorities suspect it is only a matter of time before they do so. Planned festival entertainment has been postponed in some instances, particularly for those artists who are travelling from an area where people have been infected with the virus, i.e.; The Korea Times Music Festival announced that its concert scheduled for April 25 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles “has provisionally been postponed due to the increasing uncertainty threat of coronavirus.” (2).
The latest from the Australian Government assures us that it is well equipped to deal with a pandemic declaration if that were to happen (3). While there is no imminent threat to most of us currently, we suspect 2020 will see lower than normal numbers in attendance at festivals and events around the country – as people become more wary of the spread of this virus. Party Higher offer silent disco events and other services to event planning companies – for outdoor festivals and events, as well has privately run events by individuals.
Over the last few years we have seen a steady increase in the frequency of in-home, privately planned events, and private entertainment, with a crowd who have been carefully selected by the event organizer, at a location that is private and contained. While we sincerely hope this trend does not increase due to more Australians being infected with any illness – over the years people have in fact sought out more bespoke entertainment packages including silent parties, providing them with autonomy and control over their celebrations and events. Meanwhile our bookings at outdoor events and festival entertainment has remained steady.
Opting to use a fully equipped entertainment company like Party Higher ensures that by simply knowing the kind of event you are creating – we can combine various services for example – silent disco for a birthday party, with a DJ on one channel with up to three channels of music playing at once, you can also hire our UV body painter to paint glow in the dark body art on guests. Or you might be planning a wedding – where you require a photobooth – our inflatable snow globe is the ultimate in photobooth selection and a real spectacle.
Hopefully none of Australia’s events and festivals are postponed or canceled this year in the wake of the recent virus spread internationally – but there is one thing that is paramount to us as always at Party Higher and all event organizers large or small – and that is individual safety. While we always ensure out events are run with safety at the forefront, here’s some more info on virus prevention: https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov#prevention.
References
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/touring/9323647/concerts-canceled-coronavirus-list
