Iranian new year celebrations in Saskatoon postponed, changed due to coronavirus concerns

A new year's celebration for Saskatoon's Persian community has been postponed due to concerns about the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

The event, which was set to celebrate the Iranian New Year on March 20 at Prairieland Park, has now been pushed back to the summer as a precautionary measure.

"We take the safety of our guests, vendors and talents very seriously," event organizers said in a Facebook post.

"Many months of hard work was put into the event and we were all looking forward to celebrating the Iranian New Year with every single one of you," the post explained. "However, the health and safety of our guest and everyone involved is our priority."

Iran has become a hotspot for the COVID-19, the illness cause by the novel coronavirus, since it was first reported in the central-Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. As of Friday, Iran had recorded 124 deaths as a result of the respiratory illness, with 4,747 cases confirmed across the country.

There have been no confirmed coronavirus cases in Saskatchewan so far.

In a Facebook message, gala organizer Frank Jafari said the event was postponed because organizers "care about the health, safety and well being of everyone, not just Iranian-Canadians."

The celebration was just one Saskatoon event aimed at celebrating the Iranian new year that was affected by the outbreak. At least three others have been rescheduled or changed as a result of coronavirus concerns, according to Amir Abolhassani, an administrator with the Iranians in Saskatoon Facebook page.

Abolhassani said while he isn't directly involved in organizing the events, he believes members of the Iranian community are being extra cautious, as new year celebrations draw large crowds.

"These gatherings are probably the most important gatherings for Iranians all over the world," he said. "This is what unites us."

Iran new year celebrations usually involve a lot of dancing and could see numerous people converge for hours in close quarters, he said.

"They wanted to make sure that we're not spreading the virus if there is anyone who may have it," he said. "There are always newcomers and people going to Iran to visit."

Abolhassani said it's his understanding no one from the local community has travelled to or from Iran in the last two weeks.

Other community members should be taking similar precautions, he said, as anyone travelling from areas where the virus is present needs to be careful.

"Iranians have been proactive just for the sake of themselves and the people of Saskatoon.Other people need to consider that too."

Canada's Public Health Agency maintains the public-health risk associated with the virus in Canada is low.

The public health risk is also low for Canadians travelling globally, the agency says, but will vary depending on their destination.

However, the agency says it's important for all travellers to monitor their health when they return to Canada.

According to the government of Saskatchewan, as of March 2, 52 people in the province had been tested for the coronavirus. Forty-five of those tests produced negative results, and results were still pending in seven cases as of March 2, the province's website says.