Fans banned from Sunday’s Machakos rally over escalating covid-19 cases

Rally fans will be barred from this Sunday’s Machakos rally due to the escalating cases of Covid-19 pandemic, organisers announced on Tuesday.

Kenya’s Covid-19 positivity rate continues to rise at 22.1 per cent way above the WHO threshold of five percent.

As of Tuesday, 1, 127 people tested positive for Covid-19 out of 5,393 sample size in the last 24 hours.

According to a statement sent to newsroom, the Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) stated that the event will run in accordance with Kenya’s return to race strategy and government guidelines against the virus.

Motorsport is one of the sporting events that were cleared for resumption when CS Amina Mohamed unveiled the final protocols.

“In line with the government and FIA Covid-19 guidelines, the federation will not allow spectators in the Machakos rally at the start or finish at areas and the entire rally routes as a measure to discourage social gatherings,” read the statement.

As they remain committed to ensure the safety of competitors, officials and media during the event, KMSF further said it will continue monitoring compliance with the guidelines and safety of all their stakeholders.

“However, official team mechanics, sponsors and the media will be allowed in their work stations but they will be required to observe social distancing , hand hygiene, wear face mask and maybe required to produce medical testing records,” the statement added.