Niantic has postponed Abra Community Day for “Pokemon Go.” It had been scheduled for March 15.

In announcement on its blog, the San Francisco-based company said they are also making major changes to the game. They are the following:

– a one-time purchase bundle of 30 incense for 1 PokeCoin. Incense will last one hour.
– Incubators will now be 2x effective so that Trainers can hatch Eggs twice as fast.
– PokeStops will now drop gifts more frequently. This allows trainers to collect them faster and share with friends.
– Niantic is “increasing Pokémon habitats around the world so that Trainers can see even more Pokémon nearby allowing Trainers to play closer to home.”

The move appears to be in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It joins other organizations such as the NBA, the entertainment in industry on Broadway in New York and other groups in curtailing gatherings in the face of COVID-19. Niantic talked about the situation in a tweet. It looks like there will be more changes coming in the future.

In addition, Niantic has responded to my email requesting a response to the situation and they wrote, “For Pokémon GO events, both in-game and in the real world, we are continuing to monitor the situation. We are postponing the Abra Community Day but will still be looking for a way to celebrate Abra on March 15. Stay tuned to official channels for updates.”

The company said the decisions were made “based on the current global health situation.” But Niantic also wrote that they “encourage players to make decisions on where to go and what to do that are in the best interest of their health and the health of their communities.”