MONTREAL -- Cirque du Soleil has cancelled its performances in China because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The company announced on Thursday that, due to Chinese officials requesting a shutdown of all indoor activities with 100 or more people, all performances of 'The Land of Fantasy' in Hangzhou are cancelled until further notice.
Hangzhou is about an eight-hour drive away from Wuhan, where the outbreak of a new coronavirus has prompted Chinese officials to close off the city in an attempt to stop its spread.
"Right now, we all have the responsibility to step up, and to do preventive activities. We are going to keep leading in this effort by putting people's health and safety as our top priority'', said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, in a press release. "We're going to continue to make sure that our partner Hangzhou Xintiandi Group who is managing the show, will put in place appropriate measures to further protect our audience members against the spread of the virus.''
The company said it was working closely with Chinese officials, the Canadian embassy and the Quebec Government Office in Shanghai.
"Although due to circumstances beyond its control, Cirque du Soleil apologizes for any inconvenience this closing may cause," the company wrote.
