SXSW canceled amid coronavirus concerns

It's official: SXSW is taking the year off because of concerns over the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

The news was confirmed in a Friday press conference by Austin mayor Steve Adler who declared a "local disaster" in the city. Organizers and attendees have about a week to figure out what they'll now be doing instead of converging on Texas. Austin EMS System Medical Director Dr. Mark Escott said there were no confirmed cases in the area yet, but precautions had to be taken.

"After careful deliberation, there was no acceptable path forward that would mitigate the risk enough to protect our community," Escott said. Read more...