Concerns over the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States forced cancellations, closings and postponements throughout sports, entertainment and education on Thursday.
Here is some of the most impactful:
SPORTS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL – The league suspended spring training games and will delay the start of the 2020 season by at least two weeks. The league said that guidance regarding daily operations and workouts will be relayed to clubs in the coming days. COLLEGE – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) canceled all sporting events, including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments that were set to begin over the next two weeks.
PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY – The National Hockey League suspended its season with 189 games remaining and all team meetings and practices have been put on pause.
SOCCER – Major League Soccer has suspended its season for 30 days, effective immediately.
CULTURE MUSEUMS – Smithsonian Museums in Washington D.C. along with the National Zoo in New York City said that they will be closed on Saturday and did not announce a re-opening date, due “to the rapidly changing nature of the situation.” THE MET – The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced that it has temporarily closed its three locations, Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters until further notice.
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME – This year’s induction ceremony, scheduled for May 2, was postponed indefinitely.
BROADWAY – theaters were shut down. Shows will resume the week of April 13.
SCHOOLS OHIO – At the close of school on Monday all public, private, charter K-12 schools in Ohio will be closed until April 3.
STATE OF WASHINGTON – Schools will be closed in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties until April 24.
KENTUCKY – Governor Andy Beshear recommended schools be closed for two weeks.
MARYLAND – Governor Larry Hogan announced that schools will close starting Monday through March 27.
NEW MEXICO – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a post on Twitter that the state would be closing its public schools for three weeks beginning Monday.
ENTERTAINMENT WALT DISNEY – The theme park operator said it will close its sites in California and Florida from this weekend through the end of March. Disney Cruise Line will suspend all new departures starting Saturday through the end of the month.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS – Comcast Corp’s Universal Studios theme park near Los Angeles also will close on Saturday with plans to reopen on March 28.
GOVERNMENT SUPREME COURT – The Supreme Court Building in Washington D.C. was closed to the public until further notice. U.S. CAPITOL – The Capitol Visitor Center suspended tours. It said that it expected to reopen for tours on April 1.
WHITE HOUSE – Tours of the White House were suspended.
