7th March, 2020
Despite assurances by Canada that there is a low risk of contacting coronavirus, the 2020 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship will be cancelled.
Multiple reports by AP and TSN said the event, slated to be held from March 31 to April 10 in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada, will no longer hold.
Rene Fasel, president of the IIHF, told AP the decision was made by conference call on Saturday.
Hockey Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Global News reported.
The cancellation is one of many affecting sports and entertainment events.
On Friday, it was announced that the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, would not be taking place. Multiple news outlets reported that the NBA has asked its teams to prepare plans in the event they are asked to hold games without spectators.
COVID-19, the illness caused by a new coronavirus that emerged in China, has claimed more than 3,000 lives. As of Saturday, the WHO says there are nearly 102,000 cases around the world, with about 21,000 of those found outside China.
There are more than 50 cases of the virus in Canada.