DETROIT -- The 2020 North American International Auto Show has been canceled because the TCF Center - formerly known as Cobo Center -- has been selected by the Federal Emergency Management Administration as a field hospital site, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The center will be used for at least six months as health officials continue to battle the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

Sponsors were told the show is scheduled to return in 2021. Attempts by MLive to reach officials with the NAIAS were unsuccessful.

In a statement, obtained by the Detroit Free Press and Crain’s Detroit Business, NAIAS executive director Rod Alberts said the venue was the right place to use for the field hospital and the health and welfare of those in Detroit and in Michigan are “paramount.”

The 2020 show was scheduled to take place during the summer for the first time in three decades. Several different events, gatherings and parties were planned around the show, but those appear to have been canceled as well. Press preview days were scheduled for June 9-10 while the public show was set to run from June 13-20.

More than 770,000 people attended the 2019 Detroit auto show which brought an estimated economic impact of $430 million to the region. That economic benefit is spurred by the large numbers of people visiting restaurants and bars in the city, along with the thousands of hotel rooms rented during the near two-week show.

The decision to take over the center by FEMA comes a day after U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams called Detroit a “hot spot” for the COVID-19 virus and said the situation is going to get worse in the next week.

Related story: Detroit-area hospitals seeing ‘tsunami’ of coronavirus cases in national hot spot

On Saturday, officials updated the number of confirmed cases and deaths in the state related to COVID-19. Officials say 111 people have died in the state and 4,650 cases have been confirmed.

Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration for the state at the urging of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. That declaration means more federal medical supplies will be sent to the state.

PREVENTION TIPS

Michigan’s State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:

What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:

· Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.

· Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same.

· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

· Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.

· Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available.

· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces(computers, keyboards, desks, etc.).

· It’s not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.

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Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus