Preparations are proceeding as planned for the Expo 2020 Dubai despite mounting concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

The event, which has been dubbed by organisers as “The Greatest Show on Earth”, is scheduled to start on October 20 this year and run through to April 21.

Since the coronavirus was first identified at the end of 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, it has gone on to spread to 64 countries, with almost 87,000 cases confirmed and nearly 3,000 deaths.

That has led to governments advising against attending mass gatherings, while a number of global events have been cancelled, including the Chinese Grand Prix, Hong Kong and Singapore legs of the World Rugby Sevens and the Six Nations clash between Ireland and Italy.

An Expo 2020 spokesperson said: “The safety and well-being of everyone visiting Expo 2020 Dubai is of paramount importance to us, and we’re working closely with the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention to apply the guidance that they have provided.

“Expo does not open until October this year, and we will continue to follow the situation closely. We are hopeful that global efforts will succeed in managing the virus.”

There are 192 countries participating in Expo 2020 Dubai, which is expected to see 25 million visits, with 70 percent of visitors forecast to come from over 200 countries.