James Bond fans have called for the new film No Time To Die’s release date to be pushed back over coronavirus fears.
Fan site MI6: The Home of James Bond 007 put together an open letter to EON, MGM, and Universal to propose it would be a better idea for the film’s premiere to be postponed amid the outbreak.
The post read: ‘It is time to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of cancelling publicity events.’
It was also pointed out that press tours to China, South Korea and Japan have already been cancelled.
They then relayed that Hong Kong has pushed the movie’s release back to 30 April, before it went on to draw attention to the world premiere, which is taking place in London on 31 March.
‘Hundreds of fans and celebrities from around the world will be flying to the UK to attend,’ the staement continued.
‘The Royal Albert Hall capacity is above the 5,000 limit that affected countries are banning for public gatherings. Just one person, who may not even show symptoms, could infect the rest of the audience. This is not the type of publicity anyone wants.’
Fans suggested that the release of the action movie be moved to summer, saying that they wouldn’t mind the wait.
They did already wait four years for the installment after all.
EON, MGM and Universal have yet to respond.
What is the coronavirus and where did it start?
Coronaviruses are a family of diseases which include the common cold and the virus which caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which originated in China in 2002 and killed nearly 800 people around the world.
The virus causing concern now is a new strain which has made the jump from animals to people, named Covid-19.
It causes fever and a cough and can make it hard for people to breathe, causing viral pneumonia in severe cases.
Over 2,700 people worldwide have now died after contracting the illness.
What are the symptoms of the virus?
The virus is more likely to progress into a severe illness or prove fatal among older patients or those with weakened immune systems.
As it is a viral illness, antibiotics will not help and there is no known cure or vaccine.
To avoid the illness, take usual hygiene precautions, such as using a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes, and making sure to wash your hands.
Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth after touching things like poles on public transport and avoid close contact with people suffering an acute respiratory infection.
You should also avoid unprotected contact with wild or farm animals.
So far, 13 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK.
Hundreds have been tested for it here, with most of the tests coming back negative.
How many people in the UK have it?
Where is Wuhan in China, where coronavirus started?
The virus originated in the city of Wuhan in China, where it is believed to have made the jump from animals to people at a seafood market.
Wuhan is the capital of China’s Hubei province, a landlocked province in central China.
It is built along the Yangtze river, and is around 500 miles west of Shanghai and 690 miles north of Hong Kong.
It is the largest and most populous city in central China, although estimates over its population vary.
Fan concerns come after filming for the new Mission: Impossible 7 was halted amid the virus outbreak in Italy.
Tom Cruise and the rest of the cast and crew had been scheduled to film scenes for the latest installment of the blockbuster action franchise in Venice over the next three weeks.
But Paramount Pictures has announced their decision to halt production due to health and safety measures.
In a statement, the studio announced: ‘During this hiatus, we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts.
‘We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.’
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