CMJ Issues Statement on New York Ebola Scare, Fest to Continue As Scheduled
The CMJ Music Marathon addresses news of an Ebola scare during its five-day run in New York City.
When news broke last night that a man confirmed to be infected with Ebola had visited Brooklyn bowling alley The Gutter before being admitted to the hospital, there was an anxious response from attendees of the annual CMJ Music Marathon, currently underway in the city. The Gutter was an unofficial venue during the festival, which takes place in venues and bars (and bowling alleys) throughout New York and draws thousands of music-loving tourists to the city each year.
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Adam Klein, CEO of CMJ, issued this statement in response to the news:
“We have been diligently following the news on Ebola and will continue to be proactive of the situation and circumstances. At this time CMJ will continue on as scheduled and if anything should change we will act accordingly.”
As the news broke, there was some confusion around which bowling alley Craig Spencer, the doctor who contracted the virus while treating patients in Guinea, had visited. The Gutter is three blocks from another popular CMJ venue, The Brooklyn Bowl. The Bowl’s shows, however, contiunued unabated by the news, as The Roots’ Questlove confirmed on Twitter last night, saying the venue was “safe… open and clean.”
So far, three people who came into contact with Spencer have been quarantined. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told a press conference: “There is no reason for New Yorkers to be alarmed.”