The Singapore Yacht Show 2020 has been postponed due to the escalating coronavirus epidemic.

Show management has announced its decision to reschedule the yacht show to October this year after anticipating “the likely effect it would have on attendance and participation”.

The 10th edition of the show was originally scheduled to take place from March 19-22.

It comes after Singapore raised its disease risk assessment to orange, the second highest, after its number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 33. The third confirmed patient in the UK is also thought to have caught the illness in Singapore.

Chief executive and founder of the show, Andy Treadwell, revealed he had sought the opinions of major exhibitors and partners before making the decision to postpone the show.

“The overwhelming response has been that we should indeed do so, and our own assessment of our responsibility for the health and safety of all of those both working at and attending the show only serves to affirm that decision,” he said.

By October, Treadwell said he hoped “the virus will have been contained, travel restrictions eased and any danger to the public disappeared.”

“This is an extraordinary situation for which nobody is to blame, of course, but we nonetheless sympathise with all our exhibitors, sponsors, partners and visitors for all the inconvenience and worry.”