China’s coronavirus outbreak has caused the cancellation of the LPGA Blue Bay women’s golf event that was set to start on the 5th March.

The cancellation is the latest in a string of events which has also seen Great Britain’s women’s basketball team qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 moved to Belgrade in Serbia. China’s domestic football season has also been postponed as well as the World Indoor Athletics Championships. Formula 1 have also suggested that the Chinese Grand Prix scheduled for 17 April might also be postponed or cancelled.

The competition was set to be held on Hainan Island in the south of the country, however, fears over the health and safety of participants and organisers has caused the event to be cancelled.

Organisers released a statement explaining the safety of all stakeholders was paramount and their “highest priority”.

"Any time you cancel an event, it is a difficult decision and we appreciate how hard our partners, the China LPGA and the China Golf Association have worked to host an incredible event,” the LPGA said although organisers remained optimistic for future Blue Bay events.

The coronavirus outbreak has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation due to the sheer scale of the spread of the disease. Consequently, the British government issued warnings to avoid travelling to mainland China where nearly 10,000 people are thought to have caught coronavirus.

The UK announced its first diagnosis of coronavirus in two people from the same family on Friday and the death toll rose to at least 213 in China.