Alhambra Postpones Lunar New Year Celebration Over Coronavirus Concerns

ALHAMBRA (CBSLA) – The city of Alhambra has postponed its long-running annual Lunar New Year celebration, set for Saturday, due to the growing worldwide coronavirus outbreak.

On their website, organizers said that the event is being postponed due to the "community health situation." A new date will be selected at some point in the future.

The celebration, in its 29th year, was set to take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday along a five-block stretch of Valley Boulevard, between Garfield Avenue and Almansor Street.

However, despite the announcement from the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, state and county health officials said in a news conference Friday afternoon they were not recommending the cancellation of public events.

"There is no sustained person-to-person spread transmission of this virus, the novel coronavirus, in our United States," said Dr. Muntu Davis with the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

"It is important to stick to the facts, and dispel any misinformation going around about the virus," state Assemblyman Ed Chu added.

RELATED: Coronavirus Hoax: Fake Letter Claims Outbreak In South Bay Area

This comes after both Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced Friday they will suspend all flights between the U.S. and China. Delta will halt flights through April 30, while American will suspend them through March 27.

On Wednesday, a U.S. State Department-chartered airplane carrying 195 Americans arrived at the March Air Reserve Base from Wuhan, China, the region where this new strain of coronavirus is believed to have started.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a mandatory 14-day quarantine order for all 195 passengers starting from Jan. 29, when their plane left Wuhan. One of those passengers had attempted to leave the base Thursday while under a voluntary quarantine.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency.