March 11, 2020 - 10:57 AM
TORONTO - The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television has postponed one of its events leading up to this month's Canadian Screen Awards due to COVID-19.
The academy says Family Fan Day scheduled for March 28 will not go ahead but other Canadian Screen Week events will, including the awards broadcast gala on March 29.
Canadian Screen Week runs March 23 to March 29 and also includes several galas.
Family Fan Day is an annual, kid-friendly event including free meet-and-greets with stars, performances, giveaways and activities.
In a statement, the academy says it's in close touch with authorities with regards to the possible effect that the novel coronavirus may have on Canadian Screen Week events.
Using risk-assessment tools provided by the federal government, the academy determined that the majority of Canadian Screen Week events hold a low risk for attendees.
But "because of the presence of young children and the 'meet and greet' format, Family Fan Day has been determined to be a higher risk than other Screen Week events," said the statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2020.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2020