NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The delta variant of coronavirus forced organizers to once again pump the brakes on the New York International Auto Show.”It is with great disappointment that the upcoming 2021 New York International Automobile Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center has been cancelled due to the growing incidences of the Covid-19 Delta variant and the increased measures announced recently by State and local officials to stop its spread,” organizers said in a statement released Wednesday.
The event will return to its regular spring schedule in April 2022, organizers said.
The coronavirus pandemic already forced organizers to cancel the 2020 New York Auto Show.
The show’s return to the Javits Center was unveiled in a splashy June announcement by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
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“This is a sure sign that New York is coming back stronger and better than ever,” he said at the time.
But it appears the Auto Show spun out, much like Cuomo’s political fortunes.
The delta variant has prompted New York City, state and federal officials to adopt strict vaccination and mask mandates to stop its spread, especially in indoor spaces.
Mayor Bill de Blasio this week announced that indoor entertainment and performance events in the city will require proof of vaccination starting Aug. 16. It’s unclear whether the mandate would apply to the Auto Show, but organizers seemed to allude to similar strict measures in their release.
“Increased delta-variant measures force event’s hand,” the release is subtitled.
“Over the past few weeks, and especially within the last few days, circumstances have changed making it more difficult to create an event at the high standard that we and our clients expect,” the statement reads.
“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.”