North Texas Chinese New Year events being postponed due to coronavirus outbreak

In North Texas, caution over the coronavirus has led to the cancellation of some Chinese New Year events.

There are no confirmed cases in the Lone Star State, but local organizers say the concern is that people who have just returned from China, might attend these events, unaware they're carrying the virus.

This has led to cancelations of celebrations that would've brought a number people from North Texas' Chinese community together.

"We still want everybody to come to our party," said Xin Sin Sung, with the Texas Cultural Exchange Center.

But it's a party that's going to have to wait.

The Texas Cultural Exchange Center is postponing its Chinese New Year party out of concerns related to the deadly coronavirus.

The event, which organizers expected to have 300-400 people attending, was scheduled at First Baptist Richardson on Saturday.

"We just have to postpone it just for the safety concern," said Tina Lin, with the Texas Cultural Exchange Center.

Three major U.S. airlines - American, Delta, and United - announced Friday that flights will be suspended to and from China.

RELATED: American Airlines, Delta suspend US flights to China amid coronavirus outbreak

Scientists say the virus' longest incubation period is 14 days.

It's unclear how long people can have the virus without showing symptoms.

"Lots of Chinese, they go back to China and then to visit family. This is family reunion time, so now is the time to come back," Sin Sung explained.

Organizers of a similar Chinese New Year event at NorthPark Center cancelled their celebration as well.

RELATED: Chinese New Year event in Dallas postponed due to 'health crisis in China'

"Oh, we have been planning this since last year for several months," Lin added.

Lin says her family lives in Beijing.

"I have a sister working there in the hospital," she said.

That’s more than 700 miles from Wuhan, the Chinese city of more than 11 million people, where the virus is believed to have originated from sometime in December.

"Oh, they all like have to stay in their apartment, their home," she explained.

And even in China's capital of Beijing, she says it's becoming more difficult to find medical masks with so many people taking precaution.

"People think that, oh maybe, they have a potential risk," Sin Sung said.

As for their celebration, they say it'll have to wait.

"We just want to wait until, you know, everything is good," Lin said.

The Texas Cultural Exchange Center says it'll re-schedule the event once concerns from the virus calms down.