Following many of its exhibitors pulling out, ReedPOP has officially canceled Emerald City Comic Con, which was set to take place next week in Seattle, one of the epicenters of outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus. ECCC had resisted canceling the show even as late as Thursday afternoon, when a spokesperson for GES shipping, which handles logisitics for the show, told Bleeding Cool "yes" when asked if the event was still, to their knowledge, taking place.

However, at 1:30PM Eastern time Friday, ReedPOP posted a message on their website officially canceling the event, with plans to try again in the Summer.

After many hours of conversation internally & consultation with local government officials and the tourism bureau, we have decided to move next week's Emerald City Comic Con to Summer 2020 with date & detail announcement forthcoming. Read more at https://t.co/ahL1TOmHLF #ECCC2020 pic.twitter.com/qq3ZnDPXWb — Emerald City Comic Con (@emeraldcitycon) March 6, 2020

ECCC previously offered refunds to ticketholders and Artist Alley exhibitors even before the cancellation, but everyone should get their money back now that the show is canceled. Below, see the full message posted to the ECCC website, including plans to secure a date in the Summer, as ECCC remains committed to holding the convention sometime in 2020.

March 6, 2020, [1:30]pm eastern- Each year the Emerald City Comic Con team works their hardest to do right by the thousands of fans that come together in Seattle. We want to create a space for you to gather, be yourselves and make memories with those who matter to you most. We have been closely monitoring the situation around the COVID-19 virus in Seattle, and, after many hours of conversation internally and consultation with local government officials and the tourism bureau, we have decided to move next week's Emerald City Comic Con to Summer 2020 with date and detail announcement forthcoming. We did everything that we could to run the event as planned, but ultimately, we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed. Our hearts go out to the entire Seattle community, everyone impacted by the COVID-19 virus, and all of you, the nearly 100,000 amazing human beings who look forward to this event each year. Our team was incredibly excited to see you at Emerald City Comic Con next week, however, fans, artists, exhibitors and the rest of the community are what make Reedpop events so special and it is our duty to make sure that your safety comes first. We know that this decision is going to greatly impact many of our individual creators, small businesses and service workers. To those whose careers depend on ECCC – we will do everything that we can over the coming days and weeks to highlight your work and we ask that our entire community support you as we realize your personal livelihoods may be impacted. To all of our fans – you will receive a refund on your tickets, no further action is needed on your part. Due to the volume, we expect you will receive your refund in 30 days. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Reedpop remains determined and committed to running Emerald City Comic Con in 2020 and we are working closely with Visit Seattle and the Washington State Convention Center to secure alternate dates this summer. As we explore options for new dates, please know that our priority is to bring you an equally amazing event. We appreciate all the messages that we have received over the course of the past week. The feedback was invaluable in helping us determine next steps. Stay tuned to our website and social channels for additional information about when we will next see you in Seattle.