People in Singapore wear masks amid the coronavirus outbreak ©Getty Images

Singapore has banned spectators from its ongoing National School Games due to coronavirus fears.

The decision, reported by the Straits Times, means youngsters are competing in front of empty venues.

Sixty-thousand athletes compete in the Games in all, which last from January until August.

There are 29 sports on the programme.

Twenty-eight cases of the virus have been recorded in Singapore, with only China and Japan detecting more.

On Tuesday (February 4), the first locally transmitted case was confirmed in the city-state.

The decision to remove fans from the School Games is part of "precautionary measures" by the Ministry of Education.

A global health emergency has been called due to coronavirus and numerous sporting events have been cancelled ©Getty Images
A global health emergency has been called due to coronavirus and numerous sporting events have been cancelled ©Getty Images

Temperature taking and travel declaration will also be introduced for officials, instructors and coaches.

More than 550 people have now died from coronavirus, which originated in Chinese city Wuhan.

There are more than 28,000 cases with the vast majority of these in China.

A global emergency has been declared by the World Health Organization with the virus spreading to 28 countries and territories in all.

Sport has been severely affected, with a large number of events in China either postponed or cancelled.