NEW YORK: Organisers of the 2020 New York Auto Show are determined to go ahead with the show - Covid-19 or not.
The event is set to run from April 10-19.
Weeks before it is scheduled to open, the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association said it has already installed 70 hand-sanitising stations throughout the convention centre where carmakers are expected to unveil more than 50 new models.
The show coordinator also said it will set standards for car-detailing companies to disinfect vehicles on the floor more frequently than usual.
The dealers are trying to preserve the fate of an event that dates back to 1900 after last week’s cancellation of the Geneva International Motor Show, which was last called off during the World War II era.
The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Manhattan’s west side will keep a team of specially trained paramedics on site, according to show organisers. They also have pre-emptively doubled down on cleaning frequently touched areas including door handles, towel dispensers and counter tops.
Countries worldwide are trying to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people, most of them in China where the outbreak began. Governments have restricted travel while companies have encouraged employees to work from home and canceled events.
The spreading virus was a particular threat to Geneva because the outbreak in Italy is centered in northern provinces that border Switzerland. In the United States, cases so far have been found mostly in coastal cities and states including New York.
