Almost every major summer tour in the world has been cancelled or postponed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, except Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard's co-headlining 'Stadium Tour.'
The tour also features Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and as of this writing (May 22) it is still scheduled to begin June 18 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Jett doesn't believe moving forward with the tour is a good idea, assuming it will even be legal given varying restrictions on large gatherings in many states.
"I would not feel comfortable doing that — I just wouldn't," she told Volume, when asked about the idea of playing a stadium show absent a major breakthrough in the fight against the pandemic. "I wouldn't feel comfortable putting the band or my crew in that position. I don't really have that right to mess with their lives like that."
Considering all the money involved and all the jobs at stake, Jett added that canceling the 'Stadium Tour' isn't "an easy decision." People all over are struggling for various reasons, and many understandably don't feel safe in a crowd.
"I can't make decisions for other people as well," she said. "If things are safe, I would be into it. But obviously, that means testing and all that stuff. And I have had my tests. But you've gotta keep doing it."
The four bands on the tour released a joint statement earlier this month, telling fans they would have "an official update" by June 1.
Poison's Bret Michaels and Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee have each expressed uncertainty as to whether the tour will happen.
Michaels, a type 1 diabetic in a COVID-19 high risk category, canceled some appearances in early-March due to virus concerns.
The CDC has recommended the cancellation or modification of any "community-wide gatherings" of more than 250 people. Gatherings of over 10 people are also discouraged for "organizations that serve higher-risk populations."
The novel coronavirus has infected at least 1.5 million people in the United States. The respiratory disease the virus causes, COVID-19, has been blamed for more than 94,000 deaths.
All 50 U.S. states have begun to ease restrictions on gatherings, though there is data that suggests the infection rate is still increasing in most states. Projections for COVID-19 deaths by mid-June have also been revised upwards.
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