In response to the SARS crisis in Asia, the Vicenza Fair did not allow delegations from China, Hong Kong, or Singapore to exhibit during VicenzaOro2, the international gold and jewelry fair held June 7-12 in Vicenza, Italy.

Officials from the show said in a statement on their Web site that the move was made with the agreement of officials from Asian countries affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus.

The stands of 12 companies from China, which were scheduled to exhibit in pavilion G1, were closed, the statement said. In addition, the planned inauguration of the Hong Kong Pavilion, which was expected to host about 75 companies from Hong Kong, was postponed until a later date, still to be decided.

“Both exclusions were decided upon by mutual consent of both Chinese counterparts,” the statement said.

The trade delegations that had been scheduled to arrive from Hong Kong, China, and Singapore also were canceled. In addition, the “Luxury China” exhibition organized by the Vicenza Fair in collaboration with Messe München and scheduled for Shanghai in September 2003 also has been called off.

According to the statement, individuals from SARS-affected countries were allowed to attend the show without restrictions, since local authorities positioned at Italian airports already were carrying out the necessary health inspections.