Like everyone else, Cycling BC is monitoring the Covid-19 Coronavirus developments very closely and we are following the latest advice from national sport organizations like Cycling Canada and the Canadian Sport Medicine Advisory Committee, as well as the mandates from federal and provincial health agencies on the best practices for combatting this global pandemic.
Please read the following update from Cycling Canada as of March 13, 2020, as it contains pertinent information regarding travel recommendations for athletes, officials, coaches, and staff involved in any upcoming races or events, as well as the status of domestic events on the Cycling Canada calendar.
Read: Cycling Canada’s March 13th Update on COVID-19
In order to support the global efforts to minimize the transmission of the virus, Cycling Canada has also recommended that all cycling events on the 2020 Cycling Canada calendar between March 15th and May 1st be postponed or cancelled. Any events beyond this time frame will be reassessed on April 3rd.
Organizers of the Bear Mountain Canada Cup XC, originally scheduled for March 28-29, in Langford, BC, announced earlier this week that the event will be postponed. The 2020 Canadian Youth & Para Track Cycling Championships scheduled for April 3-5 in Milton, Ontario will also be postponed.
View the Cycling Canada calendar of events at https://www.cyclingcanada.ca/events-results/find-events/
As per Cycling Canada recommendations, we will be taking a similar approach and have reached out to organizers to communicate our recommendation that events on the provincial calendar between March 15 and May 1 be postponed or cancelled in the interest of the cycling community and the public at large. Any event organizers in BC that are concerned about their event being impacted are encouraged to contact Cycling BC.
Cycling BC affiliated clubs should use caution and make their decisions on gatherings and group rides based on the advice and guidance from the public health authorities.
While it is disappointing that many events have been postponed or cancelled due to this outbreak, our number one priority is the health and well-being of our members and the community at large. This is a rapidly developing situation that we will continue to monitor closely.
For more information on COVID-19, please refer to the following resources:
- BC Centre for Disease Control http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/coronavirus-(novel)
- Health Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
- World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
- Government of Canada advice on mass gatherings: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/mass-gatherings-risk-assesment.html
- Government of Canada Travel Advice & Advisories: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories