Tool Fans "May Have Been Exposed to Coronavirus" at New Zealand Show

Other concertgoers have been asked to be aware of their symptoms

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Mar 6, 2020

A man in his 30s who attended a Tool concert late last month in Auckland, New Zealand, has been confirmed as the country's fourth case of coronavirus.

Fans who caught the band at Auckland's Spark Arena, where the band played February 28 and 29, have been warned they may have been exposed to the virus. According the BBC, health officials have confirmed that the man "was in the general admission standing area in the front left-hand quadrant."

Health officials added that risk of concertgoers catching the virus was "low," but advised to be aware of symptoms. The man, who has been isolated at home since Wednesday (March 4), had recently arrived back in the country from Italy. The BBC adds that his partner was announced as New Zealand's second case earlier in the week.

The spread of the COVID-19 virus has begun to disrupt the entertainment industry at large. This week, the forthcoming James Bond film No Time to Die had its release delayed until November, while organizers for Miami's Ultra Music Festival cancelled this year's event over concerns of spreading the viral infection.

Artists including Green Day, Stormzy, Khalid, BTS and more have postponed or outright cancelled concerts in response to the outbreak.

On Twitter yesterday (March 5), Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace explained that artists may not always be in control of the cancellations. "All the bands cancelling shows because of coronavirus are doing so because their insurance companies updated their policies to not cover cancellations due to the virus," she wrote. "I know because ours did the same."

Tool are set to kick off a North American tour behind last year's Fear Inoculum next week. Global reported COVID-19 infections have now surpassed 100,000.

Latest Coverage