The 2020 Isle of Man TT, one of the oldest and most famous road racing events in the world, has been cancelled due to concerns around the spread of coronavirus outbreak. The annual event, which was to be held between May 30 and June 13, this year, attracts thousands of visitors to the Isle of Man each year. According to Chief Minister of the Manx Government, Howard Quayle, the decision had been taken in order to protect "critical care services." The local government has announced 14 days' mandatory self-isolation for travellers arriving on the Isle of Man, and all non-essential travel on and off the island is being advised against.
The decision to cancel this year's Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was taken considering the global effects of COVID-19, or coronavirus. The constantly evolving situation has caused massive disruption around the world with many major sports events already been impacted, including the first four rounds of the 2020 MotoGP season being cancelled or postponed.
The decision to cancel the 2020 Isle of Man TT was taken following confirmation that the island has stepped up its measures to protect the population against the pandemic. According to an official statement by the Minister of Enterprise, "all options including postponement and delaying the decision have been considered in detail. Representatives from the Isle of Man Government will now discuss the implications with all relevant businesses, stakeholders and individuals affected by this cancellation, which it recognizes will be significant.
"With the visitor restriction in place for the foreseeable future we wanted to make the decision now to give businesses, visitors and all involved stakeholders time to manage the impact going forward. The Isle of Man, and the Isle of Man TT, are faced with unique challenges regarding COVID-19 and making this decision will provide certainty to teams, competitors, sponsors and stakeholders of the event and to visitors across the globe," said Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for Enterprise.
"The decision also aims to provide reassurance for our residents and healthcare professionals that the health and well-being of Isle of Man's residents is the single biggest priority and focus of this government."
The Isle of Man TT began in the summer of 1907, and is also known as one of the most dangerous road racing events in the world, with more than 200 fatalities during the course of the event's history around the Mountain Course. The Isle of Man TT is one of the oldest continuous motorsport events in the world and features riders competing in nine races, from a superbike category to sidecar events, in time trials around the circuit which is 60 km long and passes through cordoned off public roads for the duration of the event.
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