The Czech Republic MotoGP in Brno on 9 August will be held behind closed doors due to concerns about the novel coronavirus, organisers said on Friday.

The Brno race is the third scheduled for this year after two grands prix in Jerez, Spain, with the season opener set for 19 July.

"Despite all our efforts, this year's race will be held without an audience for security reasons," the regional government based in Brno said in a statement, adding that tickets already purchased remained valid for next year.

The season was originally scheduled to start on 8 March in Qatar before Covid-19 tore through the global sporting calendar.

The Czech Republic has handled the Covid-19 pandemic relatively well owing to timely measures, recording just over 350 deaths and 12 000 confirmed cases.

But Czech health authorities have urged caution over a recent spike in new cases in the northeastern part of the country.