BREAKING: Melbourne hotel reports case of coronavirus

A hotel in Melbourne has reported a case of coronavirus, just five days before the first F1 race of the season, set to be held in the city. The start of the F1 season has been in doubt recently, with Covid-19 causing trouble with plenty of sporting fixtures, especially in Italy.

The Chinese Grand Prix has already been postponed and the Bahrain Grand Prix will be behind closed doors as F1 tries to steer clear of the virus that has spread across the world.

But now a hotel in Melbourne, named the Albert Park Hotel, has reported one of its guests has been diagnosed with the virus. The hotel has immediately closed and all staff are set to spend two weeks at home in quarantine, but the wider effects of this are not yet known.

However, race organisers are still confident that fans will be able to attend the race, saying on radio station SEN: "It is impossible that we drive without an audience.

"We must handle the situation wisely and take the necessary precautions."