Construction on the new New York Islanders arena at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, was paused as COVID-19 continues to tighten its grip on the state of New York.

The news came Friday as Gov. Andrew Cuomo expanded the list of non-essential projects temporarily suspending state-wide because of the coronavirus.

The team broke ground on the arena last September, which was originally planned to open at the start of the 2021-22 NHL season and seat 17,113 fans.

The Islanders have split home games between the Barclays Center -- also the full-time home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets -- and the Nassau Coliseum. It was announced last month the Isles would play all of their home games at the Coliseum next season.

"We support Governor Cuomo's efforts to eliminate the COVID-19 virus. He has been the driving force behind the construction of Belmont Park Arena. The progress that has been made since the groundbreaking is truly incredible and is a credit to all of the construction workers that have been there every day. Those workers are all a part of our community and we want them safe and healthy," general manager Lou Lamoriello said in a statement issued by the team.

The Islanders (35-23-10, 80 points) sat one point out of a wild card spot when the NHL suspended its season just over two weeks ago.