The cancellation of events has been difficult to keep up with as the news changes constantly with COVID-19.
Some local plans have changed just days after being announced.
Government restrictions and the continued emphasis on social distancing are being announced and reinforced daily, forcing many people to have to change even online and item-sharing plans.
An online fashion show scheduled for Tuesday evening has been cancelled, despite being previously scaled down drastically from the original plans.
The ZuZu Fashion Boutique Spring Collection show was to take place on Facebook Live tonight, with only six people in the shop, located at 25 Dunlop St. E.
Owner Tracey Baker told BarrieToday that she wanted to provide some entertainment and fun for her clientele and others, but knows it just wouldn’t be 100 per cent safe.
“The original event was going to have 20 to 25 people, but we knew that couldn’t happen and thought we were able to just have six of us here,” Baker said. “As the gathering restrictions became tighter, we just couldn’t risk having anyone in our small space sharing clothes and items.”
News of the virus being able to stay active on inanimate objects for a period of time has also made a generous resident close up her community sharing space.
On March 22, BarrieToday published a story on Cassandra Rutherford and her Little Free Library.
For five years, the house-shaped box on Oren Boulevard has allowed book lovers to take and leave books through a sharing system.
With the recent health crisis, Rutherford decided to include some household staples, such as toilet paper and canned goods.
Rutherford contacted BarrieToday Tuesday morning to say she was going to err on the side of caution and empty her community-lending stand for now.
“The more I hear about this virus, the more concerned I am getting,” Rutherford said. “Sharing things at this time, even basic essentials, seems like a really bad and reckless idea due to the potential spread.
"I'm considering pulling everything from our little library, including the staples, today until the pandemic is over," she added.
No one is sure when the COVID-19 pandemic will subside and events further down the calendar are also being cancelled.
Theatre by the Bay’s annual season launch party was set for March 26, but has now been cancelled. The event highlights the upcoming plays the company puts on and how to get tickets.
As well, their annual variety show, Stars Come Out, has been cancelled with no make-up date. The 2020 version was set for Monday, May 11 at Georgian Theatre, but that was recently cancelled as the college campus is closed until at least June.
The theatre company’s artistic director, Iain Moggach, said it was best to cancel some things outright and hold off on the series of performances to be held.
“How much consumer confidence will there be a few weeks after we are given the OK by the government? Will people want to gather in a 650-seat theatre? So instead, we decided to push everything to the fall, cancel Stars Come Out, and pray that things get better,” Moggach said.
“If they don't get better by the fall, that will mean another round of very difficult conversations for us," he added. "And I know we are not the only ones.”
