The list of sporting events being severely impacted due to the outbreak of the coronavirus is growing, as the Singapore Swimming Association has announced the cancellation of this month’s swimming events in the nation.
The association has cancelled the Singapore Swim Series, which was slated for February 14th-16th and also the Singapore Swimming Proficiency Awards (SSPA) on February 23rd.
“In view of the latest guidelines from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education regarding the Novel coronavirus situation,” opens the statement, which concludes that “the safety of athletes and spectators is our top priority and we will continue to act on advice from the relevant authorities and take precautionary measures.”
On February 6th, BBC reported a 3rd UK citizen had been diagnosed with coronavirus traced back to Singapore. UK government has issued symptom warnings for several nations outside China, the origination point of the virus, including Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.
Olympic qualifying events in China had already been rescheduled, while the Chinese leg of the FINA Diving World Series has also been cancelled.
The Singapore Swimming Association had already issued a precautionary warning via Instagram this week, indicating that all travel to mainland China would be deferred until further notice.
Additionally, any Singaporean swimmer or an affiliated person who has returned from mainland China are told to stay away from SSA facilities and competitions for a 14-day period. A temperature screening will also be implemented at events, reads the post.