A List of Closures and Cancelled Events in Pasadena

By Alex Cordero 

The Centerfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced provisional guidelinesfor COVID-19 prevention measures and recommended the publicand communities to cancel and/or postpone public gatherings that consist of 50people or more throughout the nation for the next 8 weeks.

Per the CDC, large gatherings can contribute to the spread of theCoronavirus by United States travelers who may attend the events and introducethe disease to new communities.

Prior to the recent announcement from the CDC, local organizations hadbeen taking proactive measures for disease prevention and have been postponingor cancelling events.

Many public organizations, including local city governments, have respondedto limiting public access based on the recommendation from the TheLos Angeles Department of Public Health (DPH) which is similar to the guided recommendationsset forth by the CDC.

DPH recommended limited gatherings of 10 people or less forindividuals who are at higher risk of contracting the COVID-19, which includespeople ages 65 and older, pregnant women and people with existing chronicillnesses.

As recommended precautions are immediately placed into action to keepthe public safe and appear to be changing rapidly, it is important to stayinformed.

The following locations and organizations in Pasadena have made formalannouncements of event cancellations as of March 16:

• The City of Pasadena has cancelled all of its non-essential events and activities scheduled up until the end of April. The City of Roses has also announced it will be contacting event coordinators for all third-party city events and recommend they follow CDC guidelines for large gatherings. The Crown City has also postponed several City Commission meetings scheduled for March and April.
• The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) has closed all in-person classes at its schools and are expected to resume Monday, April 6 pending further developments. PUSD Superintendent Brian McDonald made an official announcement via YouTube. He communicated that the PUSD has set up a hot-line available for answers regarding ongoing updates at (626) 396-3680.

• PasadenaCity College (PCC) hasdecided to limit college access for students until April 19.

“We are preparingfor an extended period of online and remote operation. As such, if you haven’talready, we recommend signing up for a Zoom account and familiarizing yourselfwith its operation. Please be aware that due to incredibly high demand, someZoom functions —  including emailverification — are experiencing delays, so it is better to register and sign upfor this service sooner rather than later,” the college announced.

• TheHuntington Library hascancelled all major events scheduled until May 31. All lectures, classes,school programs, tours and public and community programs are closed untilfurther notice. The Botanical Gardens will be closed until April 14.
• DescansoGardens willcontinue to operate but only for outdoor activities until further notice.
• USCPacific Asia Museum doorsare temporarily closed until April 15 or until further notice.
• PasadenaMuseum of History publicaccess is closed until mid-April and will keep the public readily informed of anychanges.
• ArtCenterCollege of Design suspendedall classes from March 12 through March 22. Per Jered Gold, vice president ofmarketing and communications for the ArtCenter shared the following, “Our intent is to usethe coming week to prepare alternate models for remote teaching and distancelearning, and extend the term/semester for one week to make up for the lostinstruction time.”
• PasadenaPlayhouse willremain closed until April 30.
• PasadenaSymphony and Pops haverescheduled the March 21 Mozart & McGegan concert to May 23. The orchestra’s April 18Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3 continues on schedule as planned until furthernotice as they too continue to adhere to the Los Angeles County Department ofPublic Health recommendations on limited public gatherings.
• Pasadena Senior Center hasplaced limitations on many activities as of March 12. Many classes offered atthe center have been changed, postponed or cancelled. They are encouragingtheir members to follow the CDC’s recommendations to stay home and avoid largecrowds.
• All Saints Church hostedtheir first virtual worship via YouTube on Sunday, March 15 and is somethingthey plan to continue to explore as an alternative as they also follow interimpublic health regulations.
• The Rose Bowl has cancelled all of theirpublic and private events until the end of March.

All public LosAngeles County buildings are closed to the public as well. As a result, The Los Angeles County Tax Collectoris not accepting in-person property tax payments and is encouraging Californiaresidents to use their online bill pay services to pay their property taxes.

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