Detroit auto show cancelled, venue to be turned into an emergency field hospital

TheNorth American International Auto Show in Detroit will not be going ahead as planned this summer. Instead, the intended venue for the event, the TCF convention centre, is beingturned into a temporary field hospital to help deal with therapidly increasing number ofcases of COVID-19 being detected in the area.

"Although we are disappointed, there is nothing more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of the citizens ofDetroitandMichigan,"NAIASexecutivedirectorRod Alberts said in a statement.

"We will do what we can to support our community's fight against the coronavirus outbreak."

The annual event, which has taken place every year for the past 31 years,was set to take place June13 to 20. It has now beenpostponeduntil next June.

There are4,650cases of COVID-19confirmedin Michigan,and 111 have diedof the disease. Detroit is currently considered an emerging hotspot for the virus.

Alberts said that more than onehundredconvention centres and facilities around the country are being considered for use as field hospitals.

"It became clear that the TCFCenterwould be an inevitable option to serve as a care facility to satisfy our community's urgent health needs," he said.