Report: French football unaffected by national ban on large gatherings

France's nationwide ban on public gatherings exceeding 5,000 people won't affect Ligue 1, BBC News reports.

Olivier Veran, the country's health minister, introduced the preventative measure to fight the spread of the coronavirus on Saturday, leading to concerns that matches in France's top flight and below would be postponed.

Despite the BBC believing the ban is specifically for "indoor gatherings," Sunday's Paris half-marathon was still canceled as part of the government's ruling. The event was set to welcome around 44,000 competitors to the French capital.

"All public gatherings of more than 5,000 people in a confined space are temporarily banned across France," Veran said following a cabinet meeting, according to Reuters.

"Our goal at this stage is limit the spread," he added.

Veran revealed in his address that coronavirus cases in France have risen to 73. There are no confirmed deaths.

The minister's announcement marks a sudden rise in urgency as France combats a coronavirus outbreak. On Friday, Veran only urged the country's population to refrain from shaking hands in a bid to prevent infection.

Italy is the European nation the coronavirus has hit the worst, with The Guardian reporting nearly 900 confirmed cases. Cafes and schools are shut down throughout the country and small towns in Lombardy and Veneto are in lockdown for the next two weeks. Five Serie A matches were postponed this weekend after four were suspended a week earlier.

In Germany, Bayern Munich released a statement on Friday saying their players have been asked to "refrain from signing autographs for the time being and also from being available for photos or selfies with fans." A spokeswoman for the country's health ministry said on the same day that there are "almost 60" coronavirus cases in Germany, according to Reuters.