Avril Lavigne has reportedly canceled her upcoming tour dates in Asia over fears of the Coronavirus spread. The virus is quickly becoming a worldwide threat, and Lavigne’s team does not want to risk spreading it. Sources close to the “Sk8er Boi” singer told TMZ that the entire Asian leg of the tour will be canceled.
Lavigne reportedly intends to cancel 12 tour dates in total, though no official announcement has been made yet. Her world tour is scheduled to start next month in Europe, with travel through some of the areas that have been heavily impacted by the Coronavirus.
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After that, Lavigne’s tour was supposed to begin a circuit of Asia on April 23, beginning with a show in Shenzhen, China. The insider said that entire continent will be skipped. Lavigne reportedly hopes to reschedule the dates at a later time, after the health crisis has died down.
The cancellations include dates in Shanghai, the Philippines, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taiwan. According to the CDC’s “Travel Health Notices,” most of these areas are at a “Warning Level 3,” meaning that everyone should “avoid nonessential travel” to them. Japan is at an “Alert Level 2, meaning travelers should “practice enhanced precautions” if they are heading there.
The source said it is still unclear whether Lavigne’s team will cancel or postpone any of the European tour dates. She does have some shows scheduled for Italy, which is currently listed at the same threat level as China by the CDC, so they may be in danger of cancellation as well. Other concerts are scheduled for Belgium, France, Germany, the U.K. and more.
The Coronavirus — officially known as Covid-19 or SARS-CoV-2 by scientists — first appeared in Wuhan, China in December. According to a report by The Guardian, it found its way into Europe last week, beginning with a few serious cases in Northern Italy. With the virus now popping up in more and more places around the world, the CDC has issued another warning to avoid prejudice against Asian people and people of Asian descent over the disease.
In Lavigne’s case, fans online hoped that she would take no chances with her health. The singer had a serious battle with Lyme Disease which lasted about four years, during much of which she was bedridden. She detailed her health issues in a 2018 interview with Billboard, shortly before her recent comeback began.
With that in mind, hopefully Lavigne’s fans around the world will forgive her if she is cautious about travel.
