Bar hosts coronavirus-themed event with free face masks

Coronavirus death toll has risen to 170 people

Bar hosts coronavirus-themed event with free face masks (Facebook) (Fitzgerald's Irish Bar)

A bar has announced it is hosting a coronavirus-themed party, where it will be handing out free face masks.

Fitzgerald’s Irish Bar in Bunbury, Australia, shared a post for the upcoming event, planned for this Saturday, on Facebook.

“There’s been a LOT of talk about Corona and to be honest it's made us pretty thirsty…” the bar captioned a flyer that displayed a Corona beer bottle wearing a face mask. “We’ve heard Corona is pretty popular at the moment. We’re not sure why though, it’s just beer isn’t it?”

The original post, which has since been deleted but was captured with a screenshot, featured a flyer that promised the party would be the “Sickest night of the year.” The flyer was later re-uploaded without the sentence.

According to the bar, the event will include $6 Coronas all night, which it “(sort of) promises aren’t contaminated”, and free entry for the first 50 attendees.

The questionable event comes after New Zealand bar House on Hood faced a backlash after it also announced it would be hosting a coronavirus-themed event. The bar's original Facebook post, which read: “Let’s be honest, there are worse things you can catch in Hamilton,” and featured two men wearing hazmat suits and drinking Coronas, was later deleted and replaced with another post.

House on Hood advertises coronavirus event on Facebook (Facebook)

“Virus or no virus, we still think Coronas are pretty great, so while the pandemic lasts, we’re selling Coronas for just $6.50 all day, every day!!” the bar wrote on Facebook, alongside a photo of a Corona bottle wearing a mask.

“Disgusting advert. Find something less deadly to humour about bro,” one person wrote in response.

Another said: “We don’t joke about tragedies mate. People have been and are being killed and threatened by coronavirus. I’m sure you have better promoting choices.”

In response to the bar’s initial ad, beverage company Lion, which distributes Corona in New Zealand, reportedly said it wanted the ad removed.

“We were unaware of the promotion and we do not condone it,” a Lion spokesperson told the DailyMail. “We will be asking that it is discontinued.”

The Independent has contacted Lion, Fitzgerald’s and House on Hood.

As of Friday, the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 170.

While most of the cases are in China, the virus has also spread to at least 15 other countries, including Australia, where there have been nine confirmed cases of the infection.