Some events in the Hopewell area have either been canceled or postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in the state.
The Watershed Institute’s World Water Day Festival was one of the local events canceled because of the outbreak.
“We are canceling our World Water Day Festival in an abundance of caution about large gatherings,” said Pam Podger, Watershed Institute spokeswoman.
The festival was set to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on March 21 and would have taken place at the Watershed Center on 31 Titus Mill Road in Pennington.
According to Watershed Institute officials, World Water Day was an event filled with exhibits, demonstrations, games and tours designed to show community members and their families how they can help preserve water quality and the natural environment in their neighborhood.
The day would have included a taste test of local waters, water-themed games inside and outside the Watershed Center, and demonstrations with hands-on activities on how human activities impact the water and environment.
The range of games and activities during the festival were set to engage not only children but adults.
Games include the H20 Olympics competition, a water cycle game, and simulation of gathering water in different parts of the world.
The World Water Day Festival was not the only event with a change, the Hopewell Valley Arts Council had to postpone their Art Connect Forum that would have occurred later this month.
These decisions come on the heel of Gov. Phil Murphy declaring a State of Emergency and a Public Health Emergency on March 9.
The state emergency allowed state agencies and departments to utilize state resources to assist affected communities responding to and recovering from COVID-19 cases.
“The state of New Jersey is committed to deploying every available resource, across all levels of government, to help respond to the spread of COVID-19 and keep our residents informed,” Murphy said. “My Administration will continue to work closely with our federal partners to ensure that local health agencies on the front lines of the state’s response are equipped with the resources needed to further prepare our health care system for a broader spread of COVID-19.”
State officials on March 10 announced the first state death related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19).