Pearl Jam is forced to cancel their U.S. tour for Gigaton due to Coronavirus

Pearl Jam was expected to embark on the tour for their first album in seven years on March 18. 

But due to growing fears around the Coronavirus and recommendations to avoid large crowd gatherings, the band announced in a tweet thread on Monday, the North American leg would be postponed. 

In a 10-tweet thread Pearl Jam explained the decision to postpone and expressed their disappointment with the decision but found there was no other option. 

The tweeted statement began ‘As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. 

‘It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better. So we are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives.’ 

Washington State has the highest number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in the United State’s with 180 and the highest number of deaths with 22, as of Monday.

‘Here in Seattle what we are witnessing we would not wish for anyone,’ the band wrote. ‘What we do wish for the rest of the country is that they can avoid the harsh negative effects of this and retain their sense of community and take care of one another. ‘

The band, consisting of Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron, added that they placed the safety of their fans as a top priority. 

‘Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we’ve been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy,’ they added. ‘So it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements.’

At the moment, only the first leg of their Gigaton tour that saw them playing in Canada and the United States has been postponed and rescheduled, though no specific dates were given. 

They expressed that they tried to work with managers to find solutions other than postponing and cancelling shows,  ‘but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level. ‘

Saying: ‘In this case, travel is something to avoid.’

The statement also seemed to take aim at the government for unclear messages regarding the outbreak and spreading pandemic.  

‘It certainly hasn’t helped that there’s been no clear messages from our government regarding people’s safety and our ability to go to work,’ the statement read. ‘Having no examples of our national health department’s ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead.’

Continuing: ‘We are so sorry…And deeply upset…If anyone out there feels the same based on this news, we share that emotion with you.’ 

The band has been together and performing since 1990.  

The novel Coronavirus started in China in late December but has since spread to nearly every region of the world, estimated to being affecting nearly 100,000 people resulting in over 3,000 deaths. 

The disease is a respiratory illness that according to the Center for Disease Control can spread from person to person through contact with droplets from sneezing and coughing from an infected person. 

Mild symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breathe. Though severe symptoms can evolve to pneumonia in both longs, multi-organ failure and possibly death. 

While there is no specific anti-viral treatment or vaccine for the disease, the CDC suggested preventative measures including avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, washing hands often for 20 seconds with warm water and soap and avoiding contact with those who are sick.