VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The in-person 2021 Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show that was planned for September has been canceled after Hampton Roads saw a jump in COVID-19 cases.
The show was supposed to feature civilian and military planes as well as the Blue Angels, who haven't been to Oceana since 2018. It was going to be called "The Blues are Back."
In mid-July, organizers said the show was dependent on community spread of the coronavirus, which has jumped significantly in the last few weeks.
Back when the show was announced, Virginia was reporting about 500 newly detected cases a day. For the last few weeks, that number's been more in the range of 1,500-3,000 cases per day.
The yearly show typically attracts 250,000 spectators. More than 300,000 people watched the digital broadcast of the show in 2020, according to the director of public affairs for the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic.
Unlike last year, there will not be a virtual air show.