Hong Kong art shows axed amid coronavirus fears

International art organisation Art Basel on Friday announced the cancellation of its high-profile Hong Kong annual show next month as the city grapples with the coronavirus outbreak. The fair had been due to take place from March 19 to 21 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, according to a statement on the Art Basel website.

Art Central, an associated event, also announced the cancellation of its show. Hong Kong saw its first death from the virus on Tuesday. It has confirmed 22 cases, two of them critical, with at least six of the latest cases transmitted locally, authorities said.

The virus, believed to have originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed more than 630 people and infected more than 31,000, the vast majority of them in mainland China. 

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