Crufts to go ahead as planned after coronavirus fears
The Kennel Club said in a statement that "Public Health England has not advised us to cancel the event"
The Kennel Club has announced that Crufts 2020 is currently set to go ahead as planned this weekend, after concerns that the coronavirus outbreak might force the event to be cancelled.
In a statement on the Crufts website, it was claimed that, following yesterday's government COBRA meeting and further internal discussion, Public Health England had not advised that the event be cancelled.
The Kennel Club said that it was "looking forward to welcoming our exhibitors and visitors as usual" but advised that the situation could still change if Public Health England advice changes.
The statement reads, "We must be guided by the facts and most up-to-date medical information and at the moment, advice from Public Health England has not changed - the most effective thing people can do to protect themselves is make sure that they wash their hands for 20 seconds or more.
"Following the COBRA meeting, the government has said it is 'important that people go about their business as usual' for the time being."
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The statement also outlined that there would be enhanced measures in place to protect visitors and all involved, and urged people to note the message from Public Health England regarding personal hygiene.
The statement concluded, "We continue to monitor the situation with the Department of Health and Defra, and further updates, as and when we have them, will be issued on our official social media channels and website."
Assuming nothing changes, Crufts will run from Thursday 5th March to Sunday 8th March at the NEC in Birmingham.
Crufts will be broadcast daily on Channel 4 and More4, beginning on Thursday at 6:30pm on More4 and 8pm on Channel4
