Story By: JOHN DOUGLAS / RPW – MIAMI, FL – NASCAR was set to go. The county wasn’t. In a move that is being seen in multiple sporting venues not only across the state of Florida, but the country and the world as people come to grips with how to best protect themselves from the Coronavirus, Miami-Dade County decided to pull the plug on major gatherings in their jurisdiction for the near-future.
The Miami-Dade Mayor made a statement to announce the race’s postponement, along with other major gatherings scheduled for the coming weeks:
“Although we do not have community spread at this time, we want to take the preemptive steps to keep it that way. Therefore, I have decided to suspend the operation of the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair, the Miami Open tennis tournament, the MIA 5K run, and all major events at the American Airlines Arena. The March 22 NASCAR race at the Homestead Miami Speedway is postponed at this time. NASCAR officials will decide whether or not to hold the race without fans.
As we move forward together during this time, we will continue to monitor what the World Health Organization has determined is a global pandemic. We will constantly evaluate planned mass gatherings as the situation evolves.
I will be making future policy decisions regarding indoor events planned for more than 250 people based on federal and state health officials’ guidance. In addition, I am recommending that smaller gatherings, if they’re not essential, also be reconsidered.”
NASCAR itself has yet to make an official statement regarding the postponement of the event.