After confirming the first coronavirus case in Riverside County, Health Officer
Dr. Cameron Kaiser declared a local health emergency for the area on Sunday.
The decision does not yet impact the fate of
Coachella. Kaiser stated they will assess each public even on a case-by-case basis. Early Sunday morning,
Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage announced it was treating a patient for a
presumptive case of coronavirus. On Friday, Dr. Kaiser declared the county is moving forward with the festival.
Meanwhile, the
BNP Paribas Open at
Indian Wells was a canceled on Sunday.
Speaking with
NBC Palm Springs, Riverside County Public Health officials stated that they have not instructed cancellation of large gatherings such as
Coachella. Public Health officer
Dr. Kaiser stated, "We're moving forward and feel confident in what we're doing."
Dr. Kaiser added, "As the public health officer i do have authorization to shut down large gatherings, we would do so with as much lead time as possible to enable these vital components to take place in later years."
Read NBC Palm Springs' full report
here.
