Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon Organizers ‘Carefully Monitoring' Spread of New Coronavirus

The Boston Athletic Association's statement came a day after the Tokyo Marathon announced it was keeping the general public from running in the March 1 race

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Mark Garfinkel/NBC10 Boston

The Boston Marathon is slated to be run on April 20, but its organizers are "carefully monitoring" the global coronavirus outbreak.

The Boston Athletic Association's statement came Tuesday, a day after the Tokyo Marathon announced it was keeping the general public from running in the March 1 race. The field was limited to elite runners and wheel chair athletes after a case of the new virus, COVID19, was confirmed in the Japanese capital.

The outbreak has caused countries to clamp down on border controls after more than 1,850 people died in China, where new form of coronavirus oringinated, out of over 72,000 cases as of Tuesday morning. Many sporting events and other large gatherings have been canceled in the country.

So far the Boston Marathon has announced no changes over the coronavirus, and it may not — Japan has seen far more cases than the U.S., 74 (one fatal) to 15.

Here is the full statement from the Boston Athletic Association:

“The Boston Athletic Association is carefully monitoring developments related to coronavirus. We will continue to closely follow updates from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Public Health, and World Health Organization, and will adhere to any policies put forth by the federal government. We have no further comment at the moment but will continue to monitor the situation carefully.”

A Gorham, Maine, woman who is stuck in a hotel in Cambodia, unsure when she’ll be able to travel home, because of the COVID-19 coronavirus, speaks to NBC10 Boston in video chat interview.

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