Houston Rodeo canceled amid coronavirus concerns

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- One of the largest livestock exhibitions and rodeos in the world is being shut down early amid the growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus, according to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

Turner has declared a health emergency for Houston, which impacts the rodeo and a number of other events in the city.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's closure is 11 days ahead of the March 22 finale.

Even before Turner made the announcement official on Wednesday, attendees told ABC affiliate KTRK that the midway rides were no longer allowing guests to board.

"I guess we're going home," one man said. "We just got here and we tried to get on some rides and they didn't let us on."

The decision to shut down the event was as sudden as it was historic and caught attendees off guard.

"These babies didn't ride a single thing," one mother told KTRK. "Facepaint and food is all they got. It's their spring break and all I can do is say 'I'm sorry.' I wouldn't have them out here if I was scared of what they're scared of."

The rodeo is the latest in a growing number of large events across the United States that have been cancelled or postponed.