The COVID-19 pandemic claimed another island tradition today, albeit a rather recent one.

Promoter Rick Bartalini Presents announced the cancellation of comedian Bill Maher’s New Year’s visit, which would have been the 10th annual appearance for the host of HBO’s Real Time.

Maher had announced comedians Patton Oswalt and Nikki Glaser as this year’s guests, but Bartalini viewed it as unlikely the state will approve events with large crowds by year’s end, citing the recent national surge in coronavirus cases and deaths and the lack of a vaccine.

The shows pack the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater and Honolulu’s Blaisdell Concert Hall each Dec. 30 and 31, but scaling back the attendance to accommodate social distancing is not financially practical, Bartalini added.

The promoter added that he and Maher hope to bring the shows back in 2021.

Bartalini actually has another show on his docket about a month before Maher’s — Mariah Carey at the Blaisdell Arena. Originally scheduled for March 10, 2020, that show was bumped to Nov. 28 and converted to a Christmas show — Carey’s holiday standard “All I Want for Christmas is You” hit No. 1 on the Billbaord Hot 100 in December, 25 years after its release. When asked about the status of that concert, Bartalini said he had nothing to announce at this time.