The IBU has also confirmed cases in the Italian and Polish delegations prior to Kontiolahti hosting the first of its back-to-back World Cup events.

The worldwide governing body has conducted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on event participants ahead of the first day of the season opener tomorrow.

Five teams had recorded positive tests over the past two days, including France, Russia, Romania, Latvia and Moldova.

In the case of the French team, Finnish authorities decided that no quarantine was required.

Finnish authorities have determined six members of the Russian team be quarantined, with three having tested positive and three having had close contact with those individuals.

The full Romanian and Moldovan teams with be quarantined, with one exception in the latter’s delegation.

"The Finnish health authorities have evaluated the positive SARS-COV-2 PCR tests in the Russian team and informed the IBU and the Russian Biathlon Union that three team members who tested positive need to go into quarantine for seven days starting from the day the positive test was taken," an IBU statement read.

“Moreover, three team members who came into contact with the members who tested positive will be quarantine for 10 days, beginning from the day they last had contact with the person who tested positive.

"After the quarantine has ended all quarantined team members have to be re-tested according to the on-boarding process of the IBU Covid-19 event guidelines.

"Moreover, the Finnish authorities decided that the complete Romanian team and the complete Moldovan team (expect for one person) is quarantined."

The IBU has also confirmed positive tests have been recorded in both the Italian and Polish teams.

The governing body said the team members and their contacts have been altered and isolated.

After evaluating the positive tests in the Italian team, Finnish authorities decided no quarantine was required.

Organisers had also been hoping to hold the event with spectators, after being permitted to open ticket sales last month.

The Finnish Biathlon Association and Kontiolahti announced today that "based on recommendations by the regional joint municipal authority for North Karelia social and health services Siun sote, that the World Cup events in Kontiolahti will be held without spectators".

The season is scheduled to open tomorrow with a men's 20 kilometre individual event and a 15km women's competition.

Sprint competitions are planned for the following day, with the men covering 10km and women completing 7.5km.

It is the first time the classic disciplines will have opened the IBU World Cup season since 2011.

Norway's Johannes Thingnes Bø and Italy's Dorothea Wierer will hope to make strong starts to the season as they seek to defend the overall men's and women's World Cup titles they claimed last season.

Six races will be completed in Kontiolahti during the second stage of the World Cup season, scheduled to run from December 3 to 6.