The Metropolitan Museum of Art has indefinitely postponed its annual gala in light of the coronavirus pandemic, a Met spokesperson confirmed to TheWrap.
The star-studded gala was originally scheduled to take place on May 4. But because of recent CDC guidelines that gatherings of more than 50 people should be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks, “all programs and events through May 15 will be canceled or postponed,” the museum spokesperson said.
The Met also announced last Thursday that it would be temporarily closing all three of its locations — The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters — in an effort to help contain the virus.
“The Met’s priority is to protect and support our staff, volunteers, and visitors, and we have been taking several proactive precautionary measures, including discouraging travel to affected areas, implementing rigorous cleaning routines, and staying in close communication with New York City health officials and the Centers for Disease Control,” Daniel H. Weiss, the president and CEO of the Met Museum, said in a statement last week. “While we don’t have any confirmed cases connected to the Museum, we believe that we must do all that we can to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our community, which at this time calls for us to minimize gatherings while maintaining the cleanest environment possible.”
For a list of all the major entertainment events impacted by the coronavirus, read TheWrap’s coverage here.