This year’s Arctic Winter Games have been cancelled due to ongoing concerns over coronavirus.
The Whitehorse 2020 Arctic Winter Games Host Society, Government of Yukon, City of Whitehorse and Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a joint statement announcing the cancellation on Saturday.
“It has been determined that cancelling the 2020 Arctic Winter Games is the most responsible precautionary measure,” it reads. “This decision is a direct result of concerns around the spread of COVID-19 and is supported by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee.”
The statement goes on to acknowledge that there are currently no cases of coronavirus in the territory and that risk of contracting the virus is low. Still the games’ committee decided to cancel as a precaution.
The 50th edition of the games were to take place from March 15 – 20 with hundreds of NWT athletes—and around the circumpolar North—set to travel to Whitehorse to compete.
More details to come.
