The Salzburg Festival has announced that it might proceed with a modified festival.

In a press statement,  President Helga Rabl-Stadler, Artistic Director Markus Hinterhäuser, and Executive Director Lukas Crepaz stated that while the festival cannot move forward as originally planned and programmed, that the organization is considering other means of providing its annual event in 2020.

The Festival will be providing the Supervisory Board with an alternative plan on May 25, 2020 to see if it can proceed within the new regulations proposed by the Austria government. If a modified festival is approved, the organization would announce the new program details in early June.

The announcement comes in the midst of a whirlwind day in Austria. First, the Junior Minister of Culture resigned. Hours later, the Health Minister announced a plan to reopen the culture sector starting on May 29, 2020. Per regulations, the aim is to slowly open up public events, climaxing in up to 1,000 visitors by August.

Austria has 16,108 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with 628 confirmed deaths. The country last reported 50 new cases and also announced that 15,099 cases were closed.