China's League of Legends Pro League has announced that it will postpone its tournament indefinitely due to the current coronavirus outbreak in mainland China, and the LPL's official Twitter account announced earlier today that the second week of the ongoing LPL series will be postponed "until we can ensure the safety and health of players and fans It issued an English-language statement saying that the event would be postponed "until such time as we can ensure the safety and health of our players and fans. The statement apologizes for the confusion, promises to provide updates to fans as soon as possible, and reminds them to stay safe.
The decision to suspend the games may not have been left entirely up to LPL, as China has drastically restricted travel and banned large gatherings in major cities in order to stop the spread of the virus, which is considered highly contagious. According to China's General Administration of Sports, all professional sporting events are suspended until March.
The current outbreak of coronavirus in China has been confirmed to be deadly, with thousands of people infected and 80 deaths reported so far. The outbreak began in December around the city of Wuhan, but has since spread more widely, with a number of Americans who have recently traveled to China confirmed to have been infected. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhamom Ghebreyesus advised against panic, saying, "This is an emergency in China, but it has not yet become a global health emergency."
Thanks to VG24/7 for the information.
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