The National Basketball Association (NBA) in the US has called off the entire season after a player tested positive for the coronavirus.

The NBA on Wednesday announced that a player on the Utah Jazz team had preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.

“The NBA is suspending gameplay following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine the next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic,” it said in an official statement.

Fans were left confused after NBA had abruptly postponed the game between Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder, CNN reported. The game was called off right before the start and players were sent back to their locker room.

The player diagnosed with coronavirus is Utah’s star centre, Rudy Gobert, according to a report in The Athletic NBA .

The NBA said the affected player was not in the arena.

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted various events and sports leagues across the world.

For the first time in 35 years, the torch lighting ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in ancient Olympia will be held without any spectators in light of the outbreak, the organisers announced on Monday.

Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called off a Tokyo Olympic test event featuring paralympic wheelchair rugby, according to media reports.

As of Wednesday, 118,326 confirmed cases of the virus had been reported across the world, with the death toll reaching 4,292 , according to the World Health Organization, which has now declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.

 

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