The Largest Maple Festival In The World Will Be Shutting Down In Ontario Due To COVID-19

As the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, large group gatherings are starting to close as a precaution. The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival has announced that its 2020 season will be cancelled. As the largest maple syrup festival in the world, it often draws in thousands of people yearly. The festival released a statement on Wednesday informing the public that they have decided to not go ahead with the festival this year. This comes after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11. "The decision made tonight ultimately comes down to public safety," the statement from Elmira Maple Syrup Festival reads."It's our 56th year, this is not the time to be rolling the dice," it continues. "This is about protecting people, and family, and right now there are too many risks."While the festival was supposed to happen on April 4, syrup lovers will now have to wait until 2021 to be able to participate in the event. 

"It's a difficult decision, but we need to think with our heads, not our hearts," their statement continues. "The cancellation of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival follows the cancellation of many other local events." The committee will be meeting on March 18 to discuss the best way to support the community at this time, according to CTV News. 

Although risk in Canada is still considered low, safety precautions are becoming more common.

Laurentian University in Sudbury closed its doors on March 11.Other universities are prepared to follow suit in the near future if the virus continues to spread. 

The NBA just suspended their season until further notice after a player was diagnosed with the virus. 

The Raptors have reportedly been put into self-isolation, along with other teams.

Canada recently released a risk-informed decision-making report for the COVID-19 global outbreak. Currently, there are 42 cases in Ontario and 103 in Canada, according to the government's outbreak update page.