'B-U-M-M-E-R': National Spelling Bee called off due to coronavirus outbreak
Ninety-third edition of orthographic competition called off
Last year’s bee finished in an unprecedented eight-way tie
Bee has been held annually since 1925 except during WWII
The Scripps National Spelling Bee won’t be held as scheduled this year because of the coronavirus.
Scripps announced the decision Friday morning, citing recommendations against large gatherings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the ongoing state of emergency in Maryland.
The bee was scheduled to start on 24 May at its longtime venue, a convention center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside Washington.
Scripps said it would try to reschedule the bee for later this year, but it did not commit to a new date. It’s possible the bee, staged annually since 1925 except for a three-year hiatus during the second world war, won’t be held at all.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/mar/20/national-spelling-bee-called-off-coronavirus
= new reply since forum marked as read
to link all the participants and judges remotely. Complex to do, surely... 
