In response to the spread of Covid-19, the LA Art Book Fair has been cancelled and the inaugural edition of Paris Photo New York, scheduled for 2–5 April, has been postponed with new dates yet to be announced. The majority of auctions organised by six auction houses to coincide with Asia Week New York have been rescheduled from March to June, although other gallery events will continue as planned. 

 

In Europe, Austria has shut its federal public museums, delaying the opening of the new Albertina Modern in Vienna, while the Prado, Museo Reina Sofia and Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza have all closed indefinitely in Madrid. 

 

Other European countries which have recommended or ordered that museums and tourists sites close include Germany, Poland, Ireland and the Netherlands. The US dealers at TEFAF has left Maastricht, where an exhibitor tested positive for the coronavirus, scrambling to leave. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where two employees are awaiting test results, is closing all three of its locations in New York. Meanwhile, the culture minister in Germany, Monika Grütters, has pledged to offer financial support to cultural institutions that are affected by closure or decreased attendance figures.