Coronavirus: F1 Bahrain GP to be held without fans

ISTANBUL

Due to fears of the spreading novel coronavirus outbreak, fans will not be allowed to the stadiums to watch the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in March.

"Bahrain has made the decision to hold this year's Bahrain Grand Prix as a participants-only event," Bahrain International Circuit said in a statement on Sunday.

"Given the continued spread of Covid-19 globally, convening a major sporting event, which is open to the public and allows thousands of international travellers and local fans to interact in close proximity would not be the right thing to do at the present time," it added.

Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix 2020 will be held on March 20-22.

The Chinese Grand Prix in April was also postponed last month.

First detected in Wuhan, China in December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to more than 80 countries.

The global death toll is around 3,500, with more than 100,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

As part of efforts to contain the outbreak, governments have closed borders and suspended land and air travel with the worst-hit countries including China, Iran, and Italy.