F1: The Bahrain Grand Prix of Formula 1 will be played behind closed doors by the coronavirus

The Barin International Circuit announced this Sunday that the Formula One Grand Prix, scheduled for next March 22, will finally be held behind closed doors as a preventive measure to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, which has led to the cancellation of several events in the Persian Gulf.

“After consulting with our international partners and the national health working group of the kingdom, Barin made the decision to celebrate this year's Grand Prix as an exclusive event for participants,” the organization announced Sunday in a statement.

In the note, the International Circuit apologized to all the people who had the intention of visiting the small Arab country to watch F1 and assured that the event will be televised to “ensure that neither the sport nor its fan base is affected in a way improper. “

According to the official news agency of Barin BNA, the decision to hold the event behind closed doors was taken by the crown prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Jalifa, to “protect the public health of citizens and residents.”

So far, at least 63 cases of the new coronavirus have been detected in Barin, according to the latest count of the World Health Organization (WHO) and suspended international events, closed schools and suspended flights to some of the countries most affected by the epidemic.

“Aggressive measures of social distancing have further increased the effectiveness of preventing the spread of the virus, something that would clearly be almost impossible to maintain if the race had continued as planned,” the organization said in the statement.