Organizers of the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday canceled the event due to concerns about the coronavirus delta variant.
The show was scheduled to open to the public on Aug. 20. It had been postponed since April of last year due to the global health crisis. It was the first time the show had been rescheduled since WWII.
“At the onset of planning for the August Show, we were increasingly excited at the prospect of hosting the event as the number of vaccinations in New York continued to climb and mask-wearing reduced the spread in the City. All signs were positive, and the Show was coming together stronger than ever, but today is a different story,” Mark Schienberg, president of the show, said in a statement.
The cancellation comes a day after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio mandated vaccinations for a range of indoor venues beginning Aug. 16, with full enforcement beginning Sept. 13. It’s wasn’t immediately clear whether the auto show would have been subject to that mandate.
New York’s seven-day coronavirus case count average jumped to 2,418 as of Monday, an increase of 81% from the prior week, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The state reported 3,115 new positive Covid cases for Tuesday.
Auto brands such as Jeep, Subaru and Kia were expected to unveil vehicles at the event, which would have been the second major U.S. auto show to take place following cancellations last year.
A shortened, “special edition” of the Chicago Auto Show took place last month. It was the first show for the auto industry since the event took place last February, before major restrictions due to Covid-19 took effect.
Schienberg said the next New York International Auto Show is expected to take place in April 2022, when the event typically occurs.
