Coronavirus concerns are leading to event cancellations in Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - An event for the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara was cancelled Wednesday, one of several events cancelled or postponed across the country over coronavirus concerns.

The event was meant to be a Barbara Ireland 20th anniversary celebration and kick-off party.

Paul Dargan and Dargan's Irish Pub & Restaurant have hosted the event for the past nine years.

Lori Willis, executive director of The Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, said she is not worried about the overall impact of the event's cancellation.

She said they have a plan in place to receive donations in an online format and through a social media campaign.

Willis said that the walk and run will now be virtual. All who have paid registration fees and raised funds are still eligible for t-shirts and fundraising prizes.

The World Health Organization said Wednesday morning they have assessed the coronavirus situation as a pandemic.

Organizations and businesses across the country have been canceling events or keeping employees home.

Large cities like Seattle and San Francisco have put a temporary cap on the number of people who can attend events.

Some doctors are suggesting other smaller cities should follow suit, including Santa Barbara.

"It would have irreparable damage to the event culture here," Richard Mineards said, a columnist for the Montecito Journal. "We are so prevalent when it comes to having charity galas. We have so many nonprofits here. We have so many theatres and cultural events."

Mineards said he hasn't seen many cancellations yet in Santa Barbara, but only time will tell if they will come.

In the meantime, he said many individuals are taking precautionary measures into their own hands.

"I was at a concert at the music academy of the west last night, and they were handing out latex gloves and hand sanitizer," said Mineards. "And I noticed the man in front of me, he actually sprayed stuff on the armrests of the chair to make sure that he didn't catch anything."