TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taitung County Commissioner Yao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴) announced on Wednesday (June 2) that the opening of the 2021 Taiwan International Balloon Festival originally scheduled for July 3 would be postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CNA reported. 

As an important event on Taitung County’s yearly tourism calendar, the event was originally scheduled to take place from July 3 to August 8. However, amid the nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks, the pandemic finally caught up with the county. 

As of Wednesday, there were 21 confirmed cases in Taitung. As many events around the country have been canceled or postponed due to the pandemic, the public has been curious about whether the hot air balloon festival would be held as scheduled. 

Yao made the announcement to postpone the event at a press conference on the county’s COVID-19 situation, saying that the length of the delay would depend on the pandemic.