Spain Cancels Running of the Bulls over Coronavirus Concerns

Coronavirus
Jaime Reina/AFP via Getty Images

Spain has shut down one of the country’s most famous events due to the coronavirus.

Officials in Spain have decided to shut down the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona – where the famous Running of the Bulls takes place – over fears of spreading the coronavirus.

“No matter how expected it was, it does not stop us all from feeling sad,” the acting mayor of Pamplona told reporters.

While canceling an already deadly event because of another deadly event might seem weird, because it is, the reasoning likely has to do with the contagion factor of the coronavirus. While some people may tragically die or get seriously injured while running with the bulls, getting gored by a 3,000-pound animal is not very contagious and can likely be limited to a small number of people.

“The 9-day event was set to begin in July — and draw thousands of people from all over the world,” TMZ Sports reports. “Remember, NFL star Josh Norman JUMPED a bull during the 2019 event.”

As of this writing, Spain has 204,178 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 21,282 deaths.

Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn

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