Indonesia delays 2020 Tour de Bintan international cycling race amid COVID-19 outbreak

JAKARTA -- Indonesia has decided to postpone the 2020 Tour de Bintan international cyling race in the country's Kepulauan Riau province in order to navigate the risks of the novel coronavirus outbreak, an official said on Saturday.

The 2020 Tour de Bintan, which was initially scheduled for March 27 to 29 in the Bintan district, would have had about 1,000 participating racers from 20 domestic and foreign teams, the head of Kepulauan Riau Provinve's Tourism Office, Buralimar, said.

"The event will be rescheduled when the situation has become conducive. Safety is our main priority," he said in the provincial capital of Tanjungpinang.

Meanwhile, Bintan district head Apri Sujadi reaffirmed that the decision was taken to prevent the COVID-19 virus from further spreading to the district which is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the country.

Indonesia on Saturday reported five deaths from the COVID-19 virus infection with the number of cases climbing to 96, according to the Indonesian government's spokesman for novel coronavirus-related matters, Achmad Yurianto.

The Indonesian capital of Jakarta has closed schools and recreational facilities for two weeks, and Central Java province's city of Solo has declared an emergency status on the virus.