HALESTORM’s LZZY HALE On Coronavirus Pandemic: ‘Stay Home, And We’ll Get Through This The Way Our Species Has For Billions Of Years’

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale has penned an open letter to fellow musicians and concertgoers, urging them to stay home and avoid public gatherings. A number of artists seen their concert dates drop off as they're either canceled or postponed in the wake of the global spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. With countries like Italy going on lockdown to try and contain spread of the virus, festivals and movie premieres are also being postponed or canceled across the globe. On Sunday, Hale took to her Instagram to scold those not observing the self-quarantine and putting the elderly and patients with pre-existing conditions at risk of death. She wrote: "Dear fellow musicians and concert goers: I understand your need for live music, I understand your need to perform on stage. I'm with you, I have that same primal need, especially in these tough and confusing times. But... It is extremely irresponsible to promote or participate in large gatherings at this time. "The whole 'you can't scare us' mentality is ridiculous. The virus is not a terrorist, and it will not be discouraged or impressed by your bravery. This is a pandemic. And by encouraging or attending large gatherings of people you are contributing to the deaths of people who do not have healthy immune systems to fight it. This is someones grand parent, someones child, someones sibling, someones mom, dad, or someones friend. Be thankful if your only hardship in this whole thing is that you're bored, or have to pinch pennies for a while until this blows over. Because there are people right now that you don't know, and even some that you do know that are fighting to remain healthy and LIVE through all of this. "Don't be part of the problem. Go lick your toilet seat if you want to prove how 'unafraid' you are of viruses...then go be creative, write a song, write a book, practice your instrument, perform via insta live, discover new music, learn a new skill, watch movies, play card games etc. We are extremely fortunate to live in the age of the internet, where we are able to be social, connect, encourage each other, and keep the ball somewhat rolling until things settle down. "It's important to remember that we are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! We must act as one human race by putting aside our pride, our egos, our frivolous wants, and petty differences. "Respect your fellow human. Stay Home, and we'll get through this the way our species has for billions of years. And look forward to when we reach the end of this crisis... OH WHAT A PARTY IT WILL BE! "See you all on the other side!" There have been more than 169,000 confirmed cases and more than 6,000 deaths so far, putting public health systems and emergency services under immense pressure. There is no known cure yet for the flu-like virus, which originated in China. In Italy, which has one of the oldest populations in the world, one hundred percent of the people who have died have been over 60, and the vast majority over 80. According to the Centers For Disease Control And Protection (CDC), coronavirus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person — between people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet), and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.