Portland cancels events at Merrill Auditorium and other venues

The City of Portland announced Friday it has canceled all events scheduled for the next 30 days at Merrill Auditorium, the Portland Expo and Ocean Gateway to reduce the risks of COVID-19 being spread through large gatherings of people.

“I’d like to stress that we’re cancelling events out of extreme caution, in line with best public health practices and Governor Mills’ recommendation, and not because we want to instill fear in our citizens,” said City Manager Jon Jennings. “Social distancing is one way in which we can help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and that is our ultimate goal.”

Citing the risk of the disease spreading, Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday strongly urged Mainers to skip nonessential indoor events with 250 people or more. She urged severely high-risk Mainers, including some older adults, not to attend events with more than 10 people.

Events across Maine were canceled en masse Thursday as the spread of COVID-19 claimed sporting events, concerts and many planned gatherings of large groups of people.

Portland city staff worked with tenants and event promoters over the last few days to prepare for the closure of its facilities, according to the announcement Friday. City officials will reassess the decision on an ongoing basis and update this announcement if anything changes, it said.

Anyone with tickets to upcoming shows and performances should call PortTix at 207.842.0800 or visit porttix.com for more information.