French football league suspended "until further notice"

French top-flight Ligue 1 and second-division Ligue 2 will be suspended "until further notice," the LFP, governing body of French elite football leagues, said in a statement on Friday.

"Following announcements by the President of the Republic in response to the health crisis linked to Covid-19, the LFP's Administrative Council unanimously decided on Friday 13 March to suspend the Ligue 1 Conforama and Domino's Ligue 2 championships immediately and until further notice," the LFP said in a statement posted on its official website.

COVID-19 has already infected almost 2,900 people in France and killed 61, according to the official statistics.

French president Emmanuel Macron on Thursday night announced a series of measures to fight against the virus, including closing all schools and universities, and urging people over 70 and the infirm to stay at home.

"As the President of the Republic stressed yesterday, the collective interest must be placed above all else. The urgency today is to curb the epidemic, protect the most vulnerable and avoid travel," the LFP wrote.

France's rugby federation also announced on Friday to suspend all its competitions due to the concerns over the virus.