AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) Maine officials decided Friday to delay the rollout of legalized marijuana in the state due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

Voters in Maine chose to legalize marijuana for recreational adult use in 2016, and the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy hoped to debut retail sales this spring. The office’s director, Erik Gundersen, said Friday that a spring launch is “simply unrealistic.”

One reason for the postponement is communities have had to delay authorization to opt-in to allowing local marijuana businesses, Gundersen said. The office said a new timetable for the launch of legal marijuana won’t be available until after public health experts have provided guidance about when it would be safe.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

In Maine, more than 580 people have been infected with the virus, and 17 people had died as of Friday.

The Yarmouth Clam Festival, a popular summer street festival, has also been canceled.