The State Basketball Championship executive board postponed the Washington Middle School Basketball Championship, which was scheduled for March 13-15, citing a legal directive from the Spokane County Health Department.

The tournament, which is scheduled to be held at the Spokane Convention Center as well as many school gymnasiums in Spokane County, was expected to bring hundreds of middle school-age children and their families to Spokane from across the state.

This announcement came in the wake of Gov. Jay Inslee’s prohibition of gatherings and events of more than 250 people in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. The World Health Organization also declared a global pandemic relating to the novel coronavirus. The NCAA COVID-19 advisory panel is recommending against sporting events being open to the public.

Earlier in the day, the State Basketball Championship executive board had a letter on its website expressing an intent to continue with the event and detailing extra precautions, including signage for safety practices, hand-washing stations and extra sanitation of “high touch areas,” and parents of the players expressed concern.

Sarah Hay’s fifth grade son, Max Hay, plays for a team that was scheduled to be in the tournament.

But Hay, of Seattle, and enough of the other parents of players on the 10-person team decided not to attend because of concern about the virus.

“I think we have a social responsibility to slow the COVID-19 virus as much as we can to alleviate the strain on the health care system,” Hay said.

Hay was able to cancel her hotel reservations at the Spokane Club without having to pay a penalty, but she said other parents are out money they’ve spent on hotels and plane tickets.

Rebecca Crisp’s eighth grade son also was supposed to play. Crisp lives in Snohomish County, and said that a high school student who lives about 15 miles from her has contracted the virus. She found the idea of gathering youth from all over Washington into one space irresponsible.

Crisp has contacted the governor’s office, as well as Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward’s office, with her concerns and questioned if officials are putting financial concerns over people’s health.

“I think it’s probably revenue for Spokane because obviously it’s a very large event and all the hotels book out,” Crisp said. “It’s something that’s scheduled far in advance. I know that there was a lot of money that is delegated for this, and fees associated with it.”

Kate Hudson, Visit Spokane spokeswoman, said the cancellation will have a devastating economic impact on Spokane, which Woodward echoed in a press conference Wednesday.

“How great that is is to be seen,” Woodward said.

For now, Bloomsday is on. Lilac Bloomsday Association board member Al Odenthal, the head of race security, said organizers are preparing for the annual event “as scheduled” with more than six weeks until race day.

“We remain in contact with our medical partners and the public health district in terms of what is happening nationally and locally. And we will make decisions as we get closer,” Odenthal said. “We are still so far out as this changes considerably over time.”

Odenthal said Bloomsday’s response to COVID-19 could be similar to how organizers planned for the 2009 swine flu outbreak. Organizers told people who were feeling ill to stay home, but the disease was waning come the first Sunday in May.

Various organizations have taken it upon themselves to cancel their events in the upcoming days and weeks. As part of its 40th anniversary year, Spokane Public Radio was presenting NPR journalist David Folkenflik at the Bing Crosby Theater on March 31, but NPR has canceled all nonessential travel for its staff.

Master Gardeners of Spokane County cancelled their 2020 Gardening Symposium, “Cabin Fever,” that was scheduled for March 21. The Inland Northwest Honor Flight – which transports area veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to their service – has cancelled the April 27-28 flight, but said veterans would be eligible for the Sept 28-29 flight. The Washington Bike, Walk, and Roll Summit, which was scheduled for April 26-27, was delayed to September 20-21.

Spokesman-Review editor Jonathan Brunt contributed to this story