Spectators barred from Bahrain F1 Grand Prix due to coronavirus
Last updated on: 08 March,2020 05:48 pm
Concerts featuring DJ's Afrojack and Don Diablo over the race weekend have been cancelled.
(Reuters) - The Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix will go ahead this month without spectators due to the coronavirus crisis, a blow to the Gulf’s Arab states important tourism sector.
Bahrain, which is hosting the second round of the Formula One season on March 22, has reported 83 cases of the virus, mostly linked to people who had travelled to Iran.
Concerts featuring DJ’s Afrojack and Don Diablo over the race weekend have been cancelled.
Bahrain has suspended flights to some destinations over concerns of the rapidly spreading virus.
It has also asked people entering the country who have recently visited Italy, South Korea, Egypt and Lebanon to isolate themselves for two weeks.
The Grand Prix, Bahrain’s biggest global sporting event, reported a record three-day crowd of 97,000 in 2019, with 34,000 on the Sunday.
Concerns over rapid spread of the coronavirus, which has killed 145 people and infected 5,823 others in Iran, has led to a raft of major events including concerts being cancelled in the Gulf region.
The Bahrain Grand Prix is one of two Formula One races held in the Gulf, with Abu Dhabi hosting the closing race in November.
The opening race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, is scheduled to be held on March 15.