The Miss Missouri and Miss Missouri Outstanding Teen competitions that take place in Mexico are now postponed to June 2021.

The decision follows the announcement by the Miss America Organization that the national Miss America competition also will be postponed until late 2021, according to a news release.

The Miss Missouri and Outstanding Teen competitions already were postponed to July over COVID-19 concerns. After new guidance from the national organization, the competition was postponed again to 2021.

“The health and safety of the Miss Missouri family and the Mexico community was the top priority of the organization in making the decision to postpone the state competition,” Miss Missouri Executive Director Ann Jolly wrote in a letter to contestants and organization officials.

State titleholders Simone Esters and Shae Smith will retain their titles until new winners are crowned in 2021. Current local competition titleholders will keep their titles to compete at the state level in 2021.

“The Miss Missouri organization is grateful to our many partners, sponsors, and volunteers across the state that have invested in women’s empowerment and scholarship opportunities and who continue to support the organization,” Jolly wrote.