BTS canceled fan and media attendance at their upcoming Map of the Soul: 7 global press conference due to Coronavirus safety concerns.

Big Hit Entertainment released a statement on their social media accounts regarding the changes on Sunday (February 23). The company asked fans not to attend the conference and instead stream the event on a YouTube livestream on February 24 at 2 PM KST (9 PM PST).

“We have decided to fully cooperate with the government’s policy to refrain from holding events with a massive number of participants in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus,” the statement read. “Therefore, we have decided to carry out the press conference without any members of the press and fans as your safety and health is our utmost priority. The press conference will be broadcast live via Youtube Live Streaming.”

The Coronavirus death toll is at 2,465 worldwide, with over 79,930 cases globally, CNN reported. The New York Times shared that South Korean President Moon Jae-in raised the country’s alert level to “the highest in a decade,” meaning that the government can lock down cities and stop visitors from China from entering the country.

Read the full statement, below.

 

More From PopCrush