It feels like we are experiencing 2020 all over again! The increased cases of COVID-19 and its variants Delta and Omicron ahead of the holidays are putting many significant events on hold. According to the nation’s health protection agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of December 20, 2021, Omicron “has been detected in most states and territories and is rapidly increasing the proportion of COVID-19 cases it is causing.”
The outbreak of the variant is causing major concerns; therefore, to avoid more cases, the world of entertainment and sports has decided to cancel or postpone their scheduled events.
© GettyImagesStarting with the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League that decided to reschedule dozens of games.
The NFL moved the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cleveland Browns, the Washington Football Team and the Philadelphia Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Los Angeles Rams.
“We have made these schedule changes based on medical advice and after discussion with the NFLPA as we are seeing a new, highly transmissible form of the virus this week resulting in a substantial increase in cases across the league,” the NFL announced in a statement. “We continue to make decisions in consultation with medical experts to ensure the health and safety of the NFL community.”
© GettyImagesFollowing the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols for the 2021-22 season, the professional basketball league, composed of 30 teams, postponed nine games, including Wizards vs. Nets, Raptors vs. Bulls, and Nets vs. Blazers.
The NHL postponed at least 50 matches and announced the retirement of its athletes from the Beijing Olympics. According to Commissioner Gary Bettman, sending players to Beijing “is no longer feasible.”
The entertainment industry is also hurting with the pandemic. The Critics Choice Association announced they postponed its annual gala scheduled to broadcast on January 9. At the same time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences postponed its Governors Awards ceremony, set for January 15.
© Getty ImagesBroadway might be going back to the unthinkable. Although it is not closed completely, shows have been canceled, including “Jagged Little Pill,” “Hadestown,” “Harry Potter and the Curse Child,” “Hamilton,” and “Aladdin.”
iHeartRadio canceled its Y100 Jingle Bell, and the Rockettes also canceled their Christmas Spectacular show at the Radio City Music Hall.
To ensure the safety of both residents and visitors, the governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, announced scaling back the planned New Year’s Eve celebration at Distrito T-Mobile on the Island as part of ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022. The Spanish-language countdown will move forward without a live in-person audience to respect Puerto Rico’s health and safety priorities.
Puerto Ricans and audiences worldwide will still be able to enjoy the historic broadcast and first-ever globally telecast Spanish language countdown from the safety of their homes by tuning ABC at 8 pm ET.
