Health authorities say there is no need to postpone or cancel large-scale events, including regional festivals, due to fears over the spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus.

Vice Health Minister and deputy head of the Central Disaster Management Headquarters Kim Gang-lip said the government has devised and implemented guidelines from Wednesday that organizers and health centers can refer to when hosting large events. 

Kim said the guidelines were drafted after the government received a number of inquiries from the private and public sectors on what kind of measures need to be in place when holding an event, and whether or not it should be postponed. 

In the guidelines, health authorities advised organizers to fully implement quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the virus while hosting large events.

However, authorities said it’s advisable for organizers to reduce the event’s scale or postpone if it is to be held under conditions where these measures cannot be put in place. For example, if it is to be held in a closed, limited space or if the event targets the elderly or pregnant women.