In response to state and federal government recommendations in regard to reducing the spread of coronavirus, a number of events have begun to be canceled or postponed across the Santa Clarita Valley.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that gatherings of 250 people or more should be cancelled statewide to help prevent community spread of coronavirus in California.

“Changing our actions for a short period of time will save the life of one or more people you know,” Newsom said in a news conference Wednesday night.

At a Thursday morning press conference, Newsom warned that it was likely that these event restrictions would continue past March.

“That directive is effective for the rest of this month,” he said. “We will extend it as necessary. It is likely it will be extended.”

The ban applies to all non-essential professional, social and community gatherings regardless of their sponsor. That includes sporting events and concerts, Newsom said Thursday.

Several community events have been postponed with their future dates still to be determined.

The 10th Annual Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) Annual Economic Outlook Conference scheduled for Thursday was one of those delayed by the disease. 

“In the days that come, we will be working with our speakers and sponsors on alternatives to provide you with the economic information you need during this time of great uncertainty,” said SCVEDC President and CEO Holly Schroder in a statement.

The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce also announced they would cancel or postpone all events scheduled through the end of March. The events on the calendar for this month included the March Business After Hours Mixer at Embassy Suites, the #EmpoweringWomen Lunch, NextSCV with Past Chairs, Non-Profit Seminar and MIA of SCV.

Several of the impacted events were annual fundraising events dedicated to a variety of causes.

The CalArts Gala at REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theatre), a major fundraiser for the school, was previously scheduled for March 21, but was announced as postponed on Wednesday.

Another major fundraiser was also postponed, as the Family Promise: A Taste of Hope event scheduled for March 30 has been delayed to an unknown date, per the Family Promise website.

SCV Water pushed back their 2020 Water Summit from April 17, until a date to be determined in the fall.

Despite being less than a week away, the SCV Charity Chili Cook-Off was also postponed on Thursday.

“We want to take this time to thank all our sponsors, chili cookers, volunteers and people in the community that have bought tickets to the event,” said Nicole Stinson and Steve Portaro, founders and chairs of the SCV Charity Chili Cook-Off, in a joint statement. “We promise to get back to everyone with the new date and look forward to still holding a fun, successful event to be able to still give our two wonderful charities a donation.”

The 10th annual Michael Hoefflin Foundation Walk For Kids With Cancer has been delayed as of Thursday morning, with no rescheduled date yet available.

See Related: 10th Annual Michael Hoefflin Foundation Walk For Kids With Cancer Postponed

It’s not only community mainstays that have been impacted, but also inaugural events. The SCV Coalition’s first Community Health Fair was initially scheduled for March 21, but has also been postponed.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department canceled all upcoming community events, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced Thursday morning.

While still more than a month away, the 7th Annual SoCal Special Hockey Festival was canceled this week, according to the event’s Facebook page. 

College of the Canyons officials announced Thursday that the 2020 Silver Spur celebration set for Saturday, March 14 would be canceled.

In addition to the number of community events, colleges have also begun to respond to the threat of the spread of the disease.

College of the Canyons officials announced Thursday that they would transition classes to an online format beginning Monday.

CalArts suspended classes on Wednesday, according to an official release. CSUN canceled in-person classes beginning Thursday, according to a statement from CSUN President Dianne Harrison. 

Classes remain scheduled as normal at The Master’s University as of Thursday; however university officials have canceled or postponed international travel for all students and faculty, as well as domestic school-sponsored trips, according to their website.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.