Emmy Awards Ceremony Moves Outdoors due to Pandemic

As the delta variant of coronavirus continues to spread, the Emmy Awards ceremony for achievement in television was moved outdoors.

The ceremony was initially due to take place indoors in Los Angeles on September 19 before a limited celebrity audience.

"The Television Academy and CBS have decided to host all ceremonies on the Event Deck at L.A. LIVE, directly behind the Microsoft Theater," the Television Academy said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Event Deck in downtown Los Angeles is an outdoor space that includes a large tented area.

The decision comes after talks were held with Los Angeles County health and safety experts. The statement added there would be further limits on the numbers of those invited to the show, including those nominated for the highest honors in U.S. television.

The organizers noted that not all nominees will be able to attend this year's awards.

Last year's Emmy Awards took place in an empty studio with nominees from around the globe joining on video screens from their homes.

Concerns over the Delta variant of the virus prompted singer Stevie Nicks, 73, to cancel five concerts she had scheduled for 2021.

The New Orleans Jazz Festival, due to take place in early October, was canceled on Monday because of rising cases of coronavirus in Louisiana.

Last month, Los Angeles reimposed the wearing of masks in all indoor public settings and businesses because of rising numbers of coronavirus infections in the second-largest city in the United States.