The White House Correspondents Association announced on Sunday that it has indefinitely postponed its annual dinner, which was set for April 25, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The White House Correspondents’ Association regrets to announce that it is unable to go ahead with its 2020 dinner on April 25. We will get back to you soon with our alternative date. Thanks for your support,” the WHCA tweeted Sunday.
The White House Correspondents Dinner was set to be hosted this year by “Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson with comedian Hasan Minhaj as featured speaker. While the dinner has traditionally been attended by the President of the United States, who usually makes some jokes during the ceremony, Donald Trump has not attended during his presidency amidst years of attacks against reporters who have covered his administration.
The WHCD joins a long list of events that have been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, including SXSW, the Game Developers Conference, and the Cannes Film Festival. The International Olympic Committee is also reported to be considering postponing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as national Olympic committees and athletic organization heads say that the pandemic is making it difficult for many athletes to prepare.
According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, over 13,000 people have died worldwide from coronavirus while over 335,000 cases have been reported; though millions are believed to have contracted the virus and simply have not been counted due to insufficient testing in countries like the United States.