George’s Majestic Lounge / Courtesy
Music venues hosting large-scale events across the country are facing difficult decisions on whether to continue with scheduled concerts due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic currently spreading across the globe.
Local venue George’s Majestic Lounge on Thursday issued a statement outlining the steps they are taking to help contain the spread of the virus. As of now, some of the shows will go on, though that could change rapidly.
Here’s the full statement, emailed to patrons and the media on Thursday:
Dear Music Fans,
The health and safety of our patrons, employees and artists are our top priority and we’re committed to doing our part to help keep you safe. As our community begins to feel the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), We want to share with you the steps we’re taking at George’s Majestic Lounge to help protect the health and safety of our patrons, employees and artists.
We’re closely monitoring local and national reports on the evolving impact of COVID-19 and, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization and applicable public health agencies. Our emergency management director is also in close contact with all pertinent local, state health and government entities on a daily basis.
Our cleaning and sanitization efforts in the venue have been greatly expanded. We’re frequently disinfecting often-touched surfaces such as door handles, countertops, keypads, and restroom surfaces. We’re asking all of our employees (and we urge everyone) to follow the CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of the infection. All sinks are stocked with soap. Hand sanitizer is available for patron and employee use as well.
We have instructed any employees who may develop symptoms or come into contact with infected individuals to stay home and follow the CDC’s instructions.
We will update ticket purchasers on a show-by-show basis as this situation unfolds.
We feel deeply for those who have been affected, and will do our part as we all get through this global challenge together.
A handful of shows have already been canceled, however. Earlier this week, the Anna Burch show scheduled for March 16 at the venue was called off when Austin-based music conference SXSW announced their event would be canceled this year, stopping the tour that would have brought Burch to Fayetteville.
This morning, Railroad Earth announced they have also canceled their tour that would have brought them to George’s on March 25.
George’s will continue to update ticketholders on the status of other upcoming shows via their website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.
