Rene Fasel speaks about the possible cancellation of the Ice Hockey World Championship 2020.

President of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) Rene Fasel said that the final decision to host the World Championship in Switzerland has not yet been made.

“We are checking the situation with coronavirus in Switzerland hour after hour, day after day. At the moment, in Switzerland, an emergency due to the virus, the authorities said this. Emergency mode introduced before April 19. We are in dialogue with the Swiss authorities, and together we will decide if we need to cancel the tournament. We continue to monitor the situation, until I know when we will decide on the cancellation. The situation is very bad. Teams cannot move, cannot train,” the head of the organization said.

The world championship should be held from May 8 to May 24, and a state of emergency has been introduced in Switzerland against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. Besides, the country stopped issuing visas for third-country nationals for three months and closed flights with Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Austria and non-Schengen states.

On March 11, the World Health Organization recognized the outbreak of coronavirus as a pandemic. In the world, there are about 220,000 registered cases. Major sporting tournaments are abolished everywhere, and national championships are suspended.