The Paris half-marathon has been canceled because of the spread of a coronavirus epidemic in the country.
Health minister Olivier Veran announced the move on Saturday as the French government also decided to ban all indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people.
The race involving some 44,000 competitors was scheduled for Sunday in the French capital city. Organizers said the race will be postponed to a date yet to be determined.
As of Saturday, France had registered a total of 73 cases, up from 57 on Friday. Of those, 59 people remain hospitalized, two have died and 12 have recovered, the minister said.
Check out Al Arabiya English's special coverage on the coronavirus here.
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