A Hawke's Bay District Council spokesperson said they have worked tirelessly to follow Ministry of Health guidelines up till now, in the hope of not disappointing anyone who has bought tickets to see shows.
"Our best and safest option now is to temporarily close Toitoi to the public.
"It's simply the right thing to do."
All purchased tickets will receive a full refund.
If you purchased tickets by credit or debit card, you will be refunded in full (including ticket insurance premium, if relevant). You do not need to take any action for this to happen.
Please allow up to 14 working days for the refund to appear in your account.
If you purchased tickets in an agency using cash or eftpos, you will receive a full refund to a bank account.
Toitoi staff are still working, so you can call 06 871 5289 between 10am and 4pm for help with refunds.
If you are unable to reach us, please email online@ticketek.co.nz with the details of the event you purchased to, and your updated bank details.
"Please be patient with the process, as the Ticketek team is facing thousands of cancellations and refunds across the country at the moment.
"We are trying to support our community in any way we can, so if you are facing real hardship and need your refund immediately, please phone our Box Office between 10am and 4pm and we'll do our best to help you."
Some of the venue's promoters are still hoping to go ahead in May and June or shift to dates later in the year, but they plan to keep you updated about those once there is confirmation of changes.
Toitoi's fate is the same as many venues across the region, with other art exhibitions and shows suffering as well.
Napier's Operatic Society is working through the crisis and what it means for the 2020 season of Grease, which was due to open next week.
Rehearsals have been suspended and the executive committee intend to meet over the weekend to make some decisions regarding this.
"We appreciate your patience in these testing times," a spokesperson said.
Napier Girls' High School's PTA has decided to cancel Tremains Affordable Art Exhibition planned for March 27-29 due to the risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event will not be held this year, but plans will be put in place for the 2021 event.
The advice from the Hawke's Bay District Health Board is that the risk is increased every time a group convenes.
A spokesperson for the PTA said it was extremely grateful to its major sponsor - Tremains - and all the sponsors who committed funds and products to the fundraising event.
Ticket holders for the Friday night gala event will receive a refund.
"We are working through this process with Eventfinda at the moment."
Any artwork that has been sent to the school for sale will be returned to the artists.
