New York (WCBS 880) – The already-delayed 2021 New York International Automobile Show has been canceled over concerns with the delta coronavirus variant, organizers announced Wednesday.
The 121-year old auto expo was slated to take place over nine days starting Aug. 20 at the Javits Center and is the latest major event to rethink plans as coronavirus cases spike across the globe.
“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,” organizers said in a statement. “All signs were positive, and the Show was coming together stronger than ever, but today is a different story.”
The show draws about 100,000 people a day under one roof and a source tells WCBS 880's Peter Haskell that there were concerns about it becoming a superspreader event.
"I think it actually was a very logical move to cancel the show in an act to try and keep people safe," said Dr. Jennifer Lighter, an epidemiologist at NYU Langone.
The show was originally set to take place in April, but was pushed back to August due to the pandemic.
Organizers plan to return to New York for a show in April 2022.