The event had been due to take place in Cameroon from April 4 to 25.

A delegation made up of members of the CAF Medical Committee recently carried out an inspection visit to Cameroon for an update on the preventive measures being taken as part of preparations for the CHAN.

They also had discussions with the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Cameroon during their two-day mission.

Among their observations were that preventive measures had been taken to control entry into the country and health facilities were ready to deal with the current situation, and the Cameroonian authorities had given all the guarantees for appropriate measures to ensure the smooth running of the competition.

But despite the relatively low rate of the spread of COVID-19 on the continent at the moment compared to other parts of the world, CAF said it is difficult to predict its evolution in the coming days.

"The restrictive and precautionary measures taken by various Governments to prevent the spread of the virus has made it increasingly difficult for people to move from one place to another," a statement from the continental governing body reads.

"Given all these challenges, and in order to avoid risking the health of players, officials, partners and fans, CAF in consultation with the relevant Cameroonian authorities (Local Organising Committee) has decided by mutual agreement, to postpone the CHAN initially planned for April 4 to 25, 2020 to a later date.

"CAF would like to thank the Cameroonian authorities for their commitment and urge them to continue preparing for this competition which will take place as soon as conditions permit."

The CHAN features national teams made up of players who play in their home leagues.

Morocco, the defending champions, and Rwanda had already withdrawn from this year's tournament.

CAF recently postponed the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that were scheduled to be held later this month.

Latest figures from WHO African Region suggest there are 477 cases of coronavirus in Africa, which are spread across 29 countries.