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Coronavirus May Force Postponement, Cancellation Of Major South Florida Events

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - As expected, the threat of coronavirus is turning out to be bad for business across South Florida.

Already, music festival Ultra has been postponed, according to City Commissioner Manolo Reyes' chief of staff Steven Ferreiro, with an official announcement expected Friday.

In jeopardy are the Calle Ocho Music Festival, the Miami-Dade Youth Fair and Carnaval On The Mile, which all attract mega crowds year after year.

All upcoming public events represent a dilemma for local public officials as they worried about public safety in the face of a rapidly spreading virus.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says, "I can tell you that in the last 24 hours I have received countless e-mails, messages, on all kinds of fronts urging the city to act."

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Florida US Senator Marco Rubio reacted on the electronic music festival, "If you are bringing in a bunch of people from all over the world and there is a potential of 50-100 cases. So, I think it is a prudent decision to make."

With Ultra possibly out of the way, how about Calle Ocho coming up on March 15th?

"I would say that a vast majority of people that are local is different than bringing in people from all over the world," Rubio added.

Miami Open organizers quelled any fears of the tennis tournament being canceled, releasing the following statement:

"The 2020 Miami Open is moving forward as scheduled, March 23 - April 5. Safety remains a top priority, and we are monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely with local, state and federal health organizations in the lead up to the tournament. In addition, we are working with our medical partner Baptist Health and following CDC guidelines closely to ensure a safe environment for fans, players and staff."

The state of Florida has tested nearly one hundred folks and results are pending for 69 others.

There are four who have tested positive for the coronavirus and 250 people are being monitored.

"There are going to be inconveniences. No other way around it," said Rubio.

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