Iran's Ministry of Sport and Youth Masoud Soltanifar made a special order to form an emergency committee to deal with coronavirus in sports ©Getty Images

Sports events in Iran have been suspended for 10 days from today over the coronavirus outbreak, it has been announced.

According to a statement released by Iran’s Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters, the only exception to the suspension will be football matches.

As reported by Mehr News Agency, the Iran Football League Organization has confirmed that all football and futsal matches will be held without spectators.

The Iran Sports Medicine Federation formed an emergency committee to deal with coronavirus in sports following a special order by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Masoud Soltanifar.

As reported by the Tehran Times, the decision of holding football matches without spectators prompted objections from some Iran Pro League (IPL) clubs, namely Sepahan and Shahr Khodro.

They believe it would deny their hosting rights in what are decisive weeks of the IPL.

As of yesterday, the total number of patients with coronavirus in Iran had reached a total of 43, with 12 dying ©Getty Images
As of yesterday, the total number of patients with coronavirus in Iran had reached a total of 43, with 12 dying ©Getty Images

According to an official with Iran’s Health Ministry yesterday, the total number of patients with the coronavirus across the country has so far reached 43 and 12 have lost their lives.

Fears are growing that the coronavirus outbreak could reach pandemic scale.

The virus originated in Wuhan, which has been quarantined to try and contain the outbreak.

A large number of sporting events have either been cancelled or postponed.

Nearly 80,000 cases have now been confirmed, as well as more than 2,600 deaths.

The vast majority of patients are in China itself.