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Losail International Circuit
The season-opening Qatar MotoGP has been cancelled due to travel restrictions as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Losail International Circuit was due to stage the first race of 2020 next weekend, but motorcycling governing body FIM on Sunday revealed the event will not now go ahead as planned.
Moto2 and Moto3 races will still be staged as scheduled, given testing has already taken place in Losail this week, but there will be no premier-class action.
The vital Italian influence in MotoGP was stated as a reason for cancelling the race, with 29 people having died in the country due to the virus.
As of Sunday, passengers arriving at Doha on direct flights from Italy, or having been in Italy in the past two weeks, will be taken straight to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.
Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions, the #MotoGP class is cancelled for the #QatarGP #Moto2 and #Moto3 will go ahead
Full details available in the article below https://t.co/tJbctGiP2z
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) March 1, 2020
A statement released on the MotoGP website said: "Due to Qatar travel restrictions brought into force affecting passengers from Italy (amongst other countries), the premier class will not race at Losail.
"FIM, IRTA and Dorna regret to announce the cancellation of all MotoGP class sessions at the Grand Prix of Qatar, including the race.
Gallery: Deadly coronavirus spreading across China reaches US (USA TODAY)
"The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has resulted in Qatar travel restrictions being brought into force that affect passengers from Italy, amongst other countries.
"As of today, all passengers arriving at Doha on direct flights from Italy, or having been in Italy in the past two weeks, will be taken straight to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.
"Italy clearly plays a vital role in the Championship and in the MotoGP class - both on track and off - and therefore the decision has been taken to cancel premier class competition.
Gallery: Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak (Photos)
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China has been battling an outbreak of a new SARS-like coronavirus (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan. The virus has claimed over 2,000 lives in mainland China – surpassing the death toll during the SARS outbreak in 2003 – and infected more than 75,000 people around the world. Outside mainland China, Philippines reported its first fatality on Feb. 2, Hong Kong on Feb. 4, Japan on Feb. 14, and France and Taiwan on Feb. 15. A second person died in Hong Kong on Feb. 19. The other countries and regions infected by the novel coronavirus are Egypt, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, the U.K., the U.S. and Vietnam. On Feb. 11, World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new name for the virus – COVID-19, which stands for Corona Virus Disease 19. The WHO, on Feb. 17, said that the data provided by China indicates a drop in the number of new cases but cautioned that “every scenario is on the table.”
(Pictured) A man wearing a face mask rides an escalator at the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in China, on Feb. 18.
Media personnel chase after a passenger (C) who disembarked from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was in quarantine due to fears of the new COVID-19, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 19. Several hundred passengers who endured the horrid 14-day quarantine started de-boarding the ship, if tested negative, on the day. Seven new infected cases were reported in Japan raising the total to 68 outside the ship.
A tourist, wearing a protective face mask amid COVID-19 fears, takes photographs at Marina Bay in Singapore on Feb. 18. The country has more than 80 infected cases so far and has unveiled $4.6 billion in financial packages to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has battered the city-state’s economy and sparked fears of a recession.
Waiters wearing protective face masks wait for customers outside a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 17.
A woman wears a protective face mask as she sits on a bus in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 17.
Indians who were airlifted from Wuhan wait to collect their release certificates before leaving the ITBP quarantine facility in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 17.
Military medics stand in a formation after deplaning from a transport aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) at the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 17.
People stand near the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Feb. 18. The liner was docked five days ago after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the novel coronavirus.
People wear face masks and plastic raincoats as protection at the Shanghai railway station in China, on Feb. 17.
A press conference on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak is held by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council in Beijing, China, on Feb. 17.
Doctor Hangzhou Lu, co-director of Shanghai Public Clinical Center Shanghai, shows a quarantine room for coronavirus patients at the finished but still unused building A2, in Shanghai on Feb. 17.
A teacher gives a lecture with the help of her smart phone during an online class at a middle school in Donghai, China, on Feb. 17.
Liang Yu, ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Peru, gives a press conference about the coronavirus outbreak and economy to foreign correspondents in Lima, Peru, on Feb. 17.
French Health and Solidarity Minister Olivier Véran addresses the media at Bichat hospital in Paris, France, on Feb. 17, on the COVID-19 outbreak.
A couple wearing masks kiss at a shopping area in downtown Shanghai on Feb. 16.
A volunteer cuts a man's hair in Chongqing, China, on Feb. 16. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, most barbershops have been closed. A community in the Beibei district of Chongqing organized a team of volunteer barbers to provide free haircuts for its residents.
Staff of a catering company prepare meals for frontline medical workers in Shijiazhuang, China, on Feb. 16.
A worker wearing a protective face mask removes stickers from the window of a shop in Shanghai on Feb. 17.
Pictures of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, China, are displayed by their family members during a demonstration in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 16. The family members are demanding the evacuation of their relatives.
Jewish worshipers take part in a prayer for those affected by the coronavirus, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, on Feb. 16. The placard in Hebrew and Chinese reads "The Jewish people pray for China."
A U.S. passenger gives a thumbs up to reporters while arriving at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 17, after disembarking in Yokohama from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
An aviation security officer wearing a protective mask stands guard at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 15.
Nepalese nationals who were in Wuhan walk out from a Nepal Airlines plane at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, on Feb. 16. The chartered plane brought back 175 nationals from Hubei province.
A classroom is cleaned in preparation for students' return to school in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 15.
The big screen displays a message of support in relation to the ongoing fight against coronavirus during a Premier League football match between Southampton and Burnley FC in Southampton, England, on Feb. 15.
A traffic police official checks a car in Xiaogan, China, amid snowfall on Feb. 15.
People wearing face masks do physical exercises at a park in Beijing on Feb. 15.
Two buses leave the port where the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship is docked in Yokohama, on Feb. 15.
A woman is seen wearing a protective mask as she holds a rose on Valentine's Day, while waiting for the subway at a station during rush hour in Beijing, on Feb. 14.
A woman wears a mask while traveling in a bus in downtown Shanghai, China, on Feb. 13.
The Westerdam cruise ship is seen past fishing boats as it approaches the port in Sihanoukville on Feb. 13, where the liner had received permission to dock after been refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the virus.
A staff member scans the temperature of visitors at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 13.
An employee receives payment from a customer through a container on a stick, in Beijing on Feb. 12. A ramp has also been set up to deliver food from the counter.
Visitors wear protective masks as they walk through a nearly empty shopping mall in Beijing on Feb. 12.
Customers have lunch with a transparent plastic panel set up on the table to isolate each other and prevent the spread of the virus, in Hong Kong on Feb. 12.
A nearly empty subway train is seen in Beijing on Feb. 12.
Members of Japan Self-Defense Force attach a military vehicle to a gate of the Diamond Princess on Feb. 12.
A security guard wears a face mask in a subway in Beijing on Feb. 12.
Workers wear masks as they walk outside their dormitory in an electronics manufacturing factory in Shanghai on Feb. 12.
An officer checks the temperature of passengers as a precautionary measure at a border crossing between Syria and Lebanon in Jdaidit Yabws on Feb. 12.
A man wears protective mask at the Shanghai railway station in China on Feb. 12.
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A woman fixes her mask as she waits for tourists at her shop at Chang Siam Park in Pattaya, Thailand, on Feb. 12.
A worker checks the temperature of a customer at a supermarket in Beijing on Feb 11.
Members of the media stand near the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 11.
People wear masks as a precautionary measure at the Seoul railway station in South Korea on Feb. 10.
A resident wearing a protective face mask looks on at Patan Durbar Square in Patan, Nepal, on Feb. 10.
A Malaysian Royal Guard wears a protective mask as he stands guard outside National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 10.
Tourists wearing face masks visit Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 10.
People wear protective masks as they wait to cross the street in Hong Kong on Feb. 10.
A worker wearing a protective suit carries a fogging machine as others prepare to disinfect a business establishment in Shanghai on Feb. 9.
A passenger wearing a mask walks outside the Shanghai railway station in China on Feb. 8.
Workers produce protective clothing at a factory in Wuxi, China, on Feb. 8. The factory, which previously produced suits and sportswear, switched to production of protective clothing as demand increased due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Family members of passengers from the cruise ship World Dream docked at Kai Tak cruise terminal, wave on shore in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. The cruise ship with approximately 1,800 passengers remained quarantined in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor on Feb. 8. Several passengers from mainland China on a previous World Dream cruise were found to have the new coronavirus on returning home.
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French Health and Solidarity Minister Agnès Buzyn leaves after attending a meeting about the situation of the n-CoV 2019 coronavirus, in Paris, France, on Feb. 8. The minister said that five British nationals including a child have tested positive for the new coronavirus in France.
Tourists wearing face masks line up near a departure gate at the airport in Bali, Indonesia, on Feb. 8. Thousands of Chinese tourists are reportedly stranded in Bali following suspension of all flights to and from China.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks to the media during a press conference on the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. Lam said that the government has bought 48 million masks and received 17 million more from China to counter the shortage of masks in Hong Kong.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has his temperature checked during a visit to a clinic in Gyeonggi, South Korea, on Feb. 8.
People wearing masks walk in a subway station in Hong Kong on Feb. 7.
People look on from the quarantined cruise liner Diamond Princess, in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Feb. 7. About 64 passengers from the ship have tested positive for the virus. Another ship, the World Dream, has been docked and quarantined at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. It has 3,600 passengers and crew on board.
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Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant on a street at Namdaemun Market in Seoul on Feb. 5.
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Employees wearing face masks are seen at a hotel near Algiers, Algeria, on Feb. 4, where people who were evacuated from Wuhan.
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Beds are set up at an exhibition center, which was converted into a hospital, in Wuhan on Feb. 4.
This handout photo released by Malaysia's Ministry of Health shows citizens being directed onto a bus by health officials as they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in Feb. 4.
People wear face masks as they go about their daily lives in Singapore on Feb. 4.
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A nurse checks the temperature of a visitor as part of the coronavirus screening procedure at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 3.
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Members of the Association for Sri Lanka and China Social and Cultural Cooperation (ASLCSCC) hold candles during a vigil to pray for people who are suffering from coronavirus across the world, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 1.
German Minister for Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (R) and German Minister for Health Jens Spahn give a joint statement in Bonn, Germany, on Feb. 1, on the evacuation of more than 100 German citizens from Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak.
Arnaud Fontanet, director of global health department at Institut Pasteur, speaks during a news conference over the latest findings on coronavirus in Paris on Jan. 31.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, and Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, at the opening of the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee for Pneumonia due to the Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV in Geneva on Jan. 30.
Medical staff with protective clothing are seen inside a ward specialized in treating people who may have been infected with the virus, at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital in Chennai, India, on Jan. 29.
Passengers arriving on flights wear protective masks at the international airport in Auckland, New Zealand, on Jan. 29.
Students disinfect their hands before entering class at a school in Phnom Penh, on Jan. 28. Cambodia's health ministry reported the country's first case of coronavirus on Jan. 27.
A woman wearing a protective mask prays at the Lungshan Temple on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, in Taipei on Jan. 28.
Paramilitary officers wearing face masks stand guard at the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, on Jan. 27.
Dr. David Williams, the chief medical officer of Ontario (C), speaks as Dr. Eileen de Villa, medical officer of health for the city of Toronto (L) and Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health, during a press briefing on coronavirus at Queens Park in Toronto, Canada, on Jan. 27. The Ontario health officials announced the confirmation of the first case of coronavirus in Toronto, along with a presumptive second case of the virus in the city.
Images captured by a thermographic imaging device to check the temperatures of arriving passengers at a quarantine station are seen on a monitor at the Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, on Jan. 26.
A security force member stands in front of the pandemic center where a suspected case of coronavirus is under observation at Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Jan. 26.
A banner placed by Indian health workers is seen during a coronavirus information camp for travelers at an India-Nepal border crossing, near Siliguri, India, on Jan. 26.
(L-R) Sabine Hagenauer of the infection department at the 4th medical department of Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital, Michael Binder, medical director of the Vienna Hospital Association, and Judith Aberle of the department of virology, Medical University Vienna, address a press conference at Kaiser-Franz-Josef hospital in Vienna, Austria, on Jan. 26. A Chinese flight attendant was quarantined in the hospital with symptoms of flu, in what authorities suspected as the first coronavirus case in the country.
A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing, on Jan. 25.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam addresses a press conference in Hong Kong on Jan. 25. Announcing a citywide virus emergency, Lam ordered the cancellation of all official trips to mainland China and school shutdown till Feb. 17.
Security personnel wearing hazardous material suits measure body temperatures of passenger at the entrance of a subway station in Beijing on Jan. 25.
A disinfection worker wearing protective gear sprays anti-septic solution in a train at SRT train station in Seoul, on Jan. 24.
Sanitation workers spray a disinfectant at Suseo Station in Seoul, on Jan. 24.
A passenger holds up an Australian Government document pertaining to the coronavirus as passengers arrive at Sydney International Airport in Australia on Jan. 23.
Locals wear face masks while browsing in a store ahead of the Lunar New Year, in Taipei, on Jan. 23, 2020. A day earlier, Taiwan stopped sending tour groups to, or receiving tour groups from Wuhan, China, due to concerns over the cornonavirus outbreak.
Passengers arriving from China are screened at Kolkata International Airport, India, on Jan. 22. Screening centers have been set up in the Indian cities of Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin apart from three airports at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to screen for the coronavirus.
People walk next to signage detailing hygienic practices to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at the Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, on Jan. 21.
Dozens of diggers work to build a new hospital in Wuhan, on Jan. 25. Due to the large number of infected people, the government decided to establish a temporary 1,000-bed hospital.
"As the teams and riders of the Moto2 and Moto3 classes were already in Qatar for the three-day official test at Losail International Circuit earlier this week, the races of both categories will be possible.
"The lightweight and intermediate classes will therefore compete in their season opener from the 6th to 8th March. The same will apply to the Asia Talent Cup, which will have two races during the Qatar Grand Prix as originally planned."