The upcoming Palermo Ladies Open could lose its biggest draw in world No. 2 Simona Halep after Italy decided to impose a mandatory quarantine of 14 days for people coming from Romania and Bulgaria amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Italian Minister of Health Roberto Speranza on Friday said that people who have been in Romania and Bulgaria in the past 14 days would be quarantined upon arrival in Italy, a move aimed at preventing the importation of COVID-19 cases.
Palermo is to mark the first professional tennis event across the women’s and men’s tours since early March with action scheduled to get underway on the clay courts of the Sicilian capital from Aug. 3.
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Tournament director Oliviero Palma said that organizers have written an urgent letter to Speranza, asking for an exemption for tennis players taking part in the event.
“The provision would penalize a player like Simona Halep, world’s No. 2 and Wimbledon’s reigning champion, who wouldn’t take part in Palermo’s tournament anymore,” Palma said.
Italy was the first European country to be hit hard by the novel coronavirus, but the number of daily new infections being reported is a fraction of those seen in late March.
The Palermo tournament would have strict health precautions and all players would undergo testing for COVID-19 before they go, on their arrival and every four days subsequently.
“We’re convinced that the health protocols adopted by the WTA are so strict to guarantee the safety and health not only of athletes, yet also of all the various workers involved in the event,” Palma said. “I’m convinced that there are all the necessary conditions and guarantees to give a derogation for all tennis players coming from Romania or Bulgaria, in order to avoid their quarantine and, hence, their retirement from the tournament.”
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