The Olympic Boxing Qualifying tournament for the Americas, which was scheduled to start on March 26 in Buenos Aires, has been called off because of fears over the spread of the coronavirus.

The IOC Boxing Task Force (BTF) says that the event has been suspended as they look at options for a new date or venue.

The tournament - which was due to feature boxers from the United States and Cuba - is the final Continental qualifying event for boxers to make it through to the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer. It was open to all boxers from North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean.

The European qualifier, which is due to start in London on Saturday, is still due to go ahead.

A statement issued by the BTF said the event was suspended because of an order by the Argentinian government.

"The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) informed the BTF earlier today that the government of Argentina has taken the decision to restrict all types of international events in the country with immediate effect as a precautionary measure to COVID-19," a statement said.

"The BTF understands and respects the decision taken by the public authorities of Argentina during this difficult time worldwide. We are searching for the appropriate solution for this unexpected situation and will immediately inform the National Olympic Committees, National Federations and other impacted parties as soon as further information is available.

"We apologize for this unexpected occurrence and understand the inconvenience for all stakeholders, especially for our athletes and delegations. We assure you that the BTF is doing its utmost to find the best solution."

The Africa qualifier has already taken place and the Asia/Oceania event finishes today (Wednesday) in Jordan. The final qualifying event, open to all boxers who failed to make it through the Continental qualifiers, is due to take place in Paris in May.

It is the second qualifier to be called off. The Asia/Oceania event was originally scheduled to take place in Wuhan, China, the first city to experience an outbreak of coronavirus, but was switched to Amman, Jordan.