Detroit Auto Show Canceled As Venue To Be Turned Into Temporary Coronavirus Hospital

The North American International Auto Show, which was set to take place in Detroit in June, has been canceled, the organization announced Saturday.

What Happened

The cancellation comes as the Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to turn the show's venue TCF Center into a temporary field hospital to tackle the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"Although we are disappointed, there is nothing more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of the citizens of Detroit and Michigan, and we will do what we can to support our community's fight against the coronavirus outbreak," NAIAS Executive Director Rod Alberts said in a statement.

NAIAS's new auto show is scheduled to happen in June next year and will follow a similar schedule as this year. All tickets for the public show, industry and charity preview for this will be fully refunded, according to NAIAS.

Why It Matters

The number of COVID-19 have crossed past 143,000 in the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and there are no signs of an immediate end to the pandemic.

The Detroit Auto Show is the latest in a series of events that have been canceled for the foreseeable future, due to widespread lockdowns imposed by authorities across the country to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

As the number of coronavirus cases increases in the country beyond the capacity of hospital beds, a number of makeshift facilities are being arranged by the government, corporates, and non-profit organizations.

Samaritan's Purse is setting up one such emergency field hospital in Central Park in New York City.

Photo Credit: Joe Ross via WIkimedia.