Coronavirus has claimed its first rally in Europe with this week’s Rally Ronde del Canavese in Italy postponed.
Italy has in recent days become Europe’s most infected country – and the third worst in the world behind China and South Korea – with more than 300 cases and 11 deaths.
The 30-mile event was due to take place on February 29 and March 1, and was to be based out of Rivarolo Canavese, just north of Turin. This is in the north of Italy near to the worst of the country’s outbreak.
The rally’s organizers are following government advice on the suspension and cancellation of sporting events in Italy as the authorities seek to contain the virus.
Eleven northern Italian towns are cordoned off with more than 50,000 people in quarantine, while several football games have been postponed and many are to be played in empty stadiums.
ACI Sport, Italy’s governing body of motorsport, made the following statement.
“ACI Sport, as the National Federation for Automotive Sport on behalf of the Automobile Club of Italy (ACI), in compliance with the law approved by the Council of Ministers, and adopted by CONI, which introduces urgent measures relating to containment and management of the epidemiological emergency from COVID-2019, and to protect sports equity, communicates that: ‘All activities, races and car events organized throughout the country and scheduled from February 24 to March 1, 2020 are postponed to a date to be set’.
“The Sports Federation reserves the right to make further postponements on the basis of any new provisions of the Ministry of Health and further national or regional ordinances.”
DirtFish’s sources in Italy hope Rally Ronde del Canavese could be the only event affected.
Currently the advice is temporary, but the nation’s sporting authority is monitoring the situation and following government guidance.
