Sensing increasing unrest in the service park, high-ranking officials have moved to reassure Guanajuato locals with and provide reasoning why Rally México will continue to run and welcome spectators to the stages and service park amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
In the light of fresh requests for the event to be cancelled, the governor of the state of Guanajuato joined León city and state department officials in meeting with the organizers of the event on Friday to discuss preventative actions.
In a statement following that discussion, the state of Guanajuato said: “There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 virus in Guanajuato, so all private and public activities, as well as massive events such as the FIA World Rally Championship can continue without any problem.
“So far, the state’s Department of Health has only identified cases classified as suspicious, but none have been confirmed so according to the epidemiological surveillance protocol, there is no reason to cancel public events.”
The same communication dictated no more autograph or meet the crews sessions and the media would be separated from the drivers by fence during the interview sessions following each loop of stages.
In further evidence of the federal government defending this stance, three scenarios for gauging the spread of the disease and the action to be taken were:
“Scenario one: dozens of cases. There is no closure. Place antibacterial gel at the entrance to the event, clean and disinfect the place daily, place material with preventive measures in visible places.
“Scenario two: hundreds of cases: reduce the capacity to 50% (healthy distance), place antibacterial gel at the entrance of the event, clean and disinfect the place daily, place material with visible measures of prevention in visible places.”
“Scenario three: Thousands of cases means suspension of activities. Cancellation or date changes of scheduled events.”
DirtFish is reliably informed there were moves to get the service park closed to fans on Saturday, but the officials didn’t deem it necessary to try to keep the locals away from the predominantly European-based teams – pointing instead to their record of no outbreaks.
