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28 Feb 2020 08:34 AM
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The Pokémon Company and Pokémon Centers have announced they have canceled various events scheduled to be held after February 29th, 2020 in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and to consider customer safety. They will inform customers on the official site when they plan to resume events. They apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but they appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Events Canceled or Postponed:

Pokémon Card Game Events: City League Season 3 / Trainers League / Gym Battles / Pokéca's Weekends / Pokémon Card Game Classes / First Battles
These events are scheduled to resume on March 20th, 2020, but they will continue to monitor the latest situation. The official Card Game site updated on March 13th, 2020 that all events in Japan would be canceled until April 3rd, 2020.
Pokémon Card Game Caravan - The February 29th, 2020 event at Tokushima Momoya Toy Game Shop will go ahead as planned. The March 7th, 2020 event at the Geo Naha Shintoshin store in Okinawa will be postponed.
・ Events related to “Pokémon Game Gym”
・ Events held at Pokémon Centers
・ Pokémon GO Nidorino and Gengar Raid Day has been canceled in Japan, South Korea, and Italy which was scheduled for Sunday, March 1st, 2020, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time.
Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo Grand Reopening rescheduled from March 6th, 2020 to April 2020.
The Safari Zone St. Louis, Missouri, US from Friday, March 27th, 2020 to Sunday, March 29th, 2020 was canceled.
The Pokémon GO Abra Community Day which was scheduled to take place on March 15th, 2020 was postponed.
Canada Regional Championships 2020 scheduled for March 13th, 2020 to March 15th, 2020 at The International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada was canceled an hour after the event was scheduled to start. Later in the day on March 13th, 2020, the official Pokémon website announced that Charlotte Regional Championships, scheduled for March 20-22, 2020, Regional de Pokémon de Joinville em Santa Catarina 2020, scheduled for March 28-29, 2020 and Salt Lake City Pokémon Regional Championships, scheduled for April 4-5, 2020 had been canceled as well.
All Play! Pokémon Events Canceled from March 17th, 2020 through May 14th, 2020.
・Pokémon GO Raid Hour: This events cancellation was announced on March 17th, 2020.
・Pokémon GO Safari Zone - Liverpool and Philadelphia postponements were announced on March 18th, 2020.
・Pokémon GO - Special Lugia Raid Week was to be held on Tuesday, March 24th, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Tuesday, March 31st, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT but was canceled on March 23rd, 2020.
Pokémon Center Singapore - Events Suspension Announcement - March 24th, 2020 - All mascot appearances, TCG and VGC Elite 4 Challenges, Pokémon Explorer Tours, TCG Free Battles, and all workshops were canceled.
・ Pokémon GO Raid Hour (every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. local time): This event was canceled until further notice on March 27th, 2020.
・ 2020 Pokémon Championship Series Canceled including the 2020 World Championships - Announced on March 31st, 2020. All invitations to the 2020 Pokémon World Championships would be honored for the 2021 World Championships.
Pokémon Center Singapore - Anniversary Celebrations Postponed
Pokémon the Movie Coco Special Advance Ticket Release Date Postponed - Originally scheduled for purchase on April 17th, 2020.
Pokémon Center Singapore Temporary Closure - The Pokémon Center Singapore announced on April 4th, 2020 that it would temporarily close from Tuesday, April 7th, 2020 until Monday, May 4th, 2020, or until further advised by the Ministry of Singapore.
Pokémon Centers and Pokémon Stores to Temporarily Close in Japan - Announced on April 7th, 2020, from April 8th, 2020 until the emergency declaration ends, the stores were temporarily closed. On April 17th, 2020, it was announced that the remaining stores that were opened during that time period would also close on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 but the Pokémon Center Online would continue to operate normally.
Pocket Monsters 2019 Anime Production Delays - The official Pocket Monsters anime PR Twitter posted an announcement on Sunday, April 19th, 2020 that due to the COVID-19 issue becoming a issue in Japan, production of the anime has come to a halt and that all new episodes are being delayed starting with PM 2019 episode 23 which was originally scheduled to air on Sunday, April 26th, 2020.
Pokémon Japan Championships 2020 (PJCS2020) Canceled - The Pokémon Japan Championships 2020 (PJCS2020) was scheduled to be held at Pacifico Yokohama on Saturday, June 27th, 2020 and Sunday, June 28th, 2020.
・On May 13th, 2020, the official Pokémon Twitter news account posted a Tweet announced that Pokémon the Movie: Coco had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
・The Pokémon Masters Special Event Double Trouble featuring the Team Rocket voice actors was released on July 8th, 2020 but it did not include the English voices at the launch of the event due to recording issues from COVID-19.
On September 17th, 2020, the official Pokémon website announced that Play! Pokémon Live Competitions and Events for the remainder of 2020 would be suspended.
On December 8th, 2020, it was announced that the Pokémon Center Kyoto Temporarily Closed Due to an employee getting COVID-19.
On April 21st and 24th, 2021, it was announced that due to the Japanese government issuing a State of Emergency in regards to COVID-19 cases in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures, Pokémon Centers, Pokémon Stores, Pokémon Cafes and Pikachu Sweets stores will be temporarily closed in those areas. The City League Additional Season scheduled to be held at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo and the Pokémon Center Osaka on May 1st, 2021 and May 3rd, 2021 was also cancelled due to the closure of the facilities.
On May 13th, 2021, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group announced that the Jewel would temporarily close from May 13th, 2021 to May 26th, 2021 for staff COVID-19 testing and deep cleaning and disinfection which required the Pokémon Center Singapore to temporarily close during that time. On May 25th, 2021, it was announced that they'd extend the closing to June 13th, 2021.
On August 1st, 2021, the official Japanese Pokémon website announced that one employee working at Pokémon Cafe Nihombashi, Tokyo was infected with COVID-19. They closed the cafe temporarily but the Pokémon Center Tokyo DX stayed open.
On August 20th, 2021, a temporary Pokémon Center Branch was scheduled to open in Smark Isesaki from Saturday, August 21st, 2021 to October 10th, 2021. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it was announced on the Smark Isesaki official website that it had been canceled and a future schedule would be announced on the website as soon as it was decided.
・On August 20th, 2021, the official Japanese Pokémon Card Game website announced that official card game events in Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka scheduled from August 20th, 2021 to September 12th, 2021 had been canceled in addition to the already canceled events for Okinawa, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, and Osaka which were canceled earlier in the month until September 12th, 2021.
・On August 23rd, 2021, the official Japanese Pokémon website announced that an employee working at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo had contracted COVID-19 and as a result, the store would be temporarily closed on Monday, August 23rd, 2021. During the temporary closure, the Pokémon Center Tokyo DX, Pokémon Center Skytree Town, and Pokémon Center Shibuya would be selling Pokémon Card Game products to those who won the purchase lottery for the products released on August 20th, 2021 and were to pick them up at the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo.
・On August 26th, 2021, the official Japanese Pokémon website announced that there would be temporary closures of Pokémon Centers and Pokémon Stores in areas under an Emergency Declaration for COVID-19. Also the Shiraberu-kun and the Pokémon Center Pika Pika Big Investigation! campaign ended on August 27th, 2021 instead of August 29th, 2021.

* There is currently no scheduled closures for the Pokémon Centers and Pokémon Stores due to the impact of this virus, but if there is any changes due to the recommendation from the government, local governments, regulatory agencies, health centers, etc, The Pokémon Company will announce it.

Sources: https://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2020/02/200228_at01.html, https://www.pokemon-card.com/info/2020/20200226_002317.html, https://twitter.com/NianticHelp/status/1233497146386788359
Last edited 26 Aug 2021 12:20 PM by ForumBot