Grand Prix Race Postponed In Austin Amid Coronavirus Fears

AUSTIN, TX — The MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas — the annual Austin motorcycle race at Circuit of the Americas that had been scheduled early next month — has been postponed until mid-November in light of the new coronavirus outbreak, organizers announced on Tuesday.

The race that had been scheduled from April 3-5 has now been rescheduled to Nov. 15, MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix officials said. The announcement comes one day after government officials issued a ban on events drawing at least 2,500 participants — and the earlier cancellation of SXSW that had been scheduled to start later this week — amid heightened concern over the growing threat of the respiratory illness now called COVID-19.

The resiratory ailment named COVID-19 that originated in China is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have sparked outbreaks in the past.

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No confirmed reports of the respiratory ailment have been confirmed in Travis County, according to Austin Public Health officials. But to avoid the potential for spread, city and county officials took decisive action on Monday in banning all large-scale events. The disease is spread by respiratory droplets emitted from afflicted people when coughing or sneezing, and can be transmitted when those in contact with an afflicted person touch their face and make contact with nasal passages.

Given the potential spread via contact, health officials have advised people to avoid crowds of people gathered in close proximity — a scenario yielded by the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. In addition to the rescheduling of the featured race, the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana will also be postponed until Nov. 20-22, the event's organizers said.