Delta Variant Spread... New York Motor Show Canceled for 2 Consecutive Years

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The resurgence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 has led to the cancellation of the New York Motor Show in the United States.

On the 4th (local time), the New York International Auto Show announced the cancellation of the event scheduled to be held at the Javits Center in Manhattan from the 20th to the 29th, citing the spread of the Delta variant.

The New York Motor Show, known as one of the three major motor shows in the U.S. along with Detroit and Los Angeles, is usually held in spring, but this year it was planned for August due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 121-year-old New York Motor Show was also unable to hold the event last year due to COVID-19.

The organizers explained in a statement, "Due to the rapidly changing recent situation, it has become difficult to hold the event to the high standards everyone expects." Mark Sheinberg, chairman of the New York Motor Show, said, "We believe the event will be able to proceed normally in April next year."

The Javits Center is a representative convention facility in Manhattan. During the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, it was used as a hospital bed facility. Later, it was used as a vaccination center and recently ended vaccinations to return to its original role. Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State, had expected the motor show to attract a crowd of one million people.

However, a day earlier, Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, announced that from the 16th, indoor facilities such as theaters, restaurants, and gyms in the city would require at least one dose of vaccination for entry.

This measure is also reported to potentially apply to all indoor facilities such as museums. In that case, only vaccinated individuals would be able to attend the New York Motor Show.

According to The New York Times, the daily average of new COVID-19 cases in New York City is 1,375, accounting for half of the 2,579 cases occurring throughout New York State.