New Delhi, March 16 (IANS): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now decided to ask its employees to work from home from Tuesday onwards in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in the country.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) terming the disease as a pandemic, and the number of cases rising in the country, the Indian cricket board has asked its employees to avoid heading to the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI functionary said that it seemed the best possible remedy in the current scenario considering that public transport is the mode of travel for most office-goers in the city.

"As you know, trains are the most availed mode of transport in the city and considering the present situation, it was felt that we better work from home till further notice. Hopefully things will improve in the near future and normalcy would return," the functionary said.

The situation is such that almost all sporting activities have been indefinitely suspended in the country and even the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League could be a non-starter this year even though the BCCI is keeping no stones unturned to make it happen.

Looking to ensure citizens' safety, the government had on March 11 cancelled all visas, except for a few official categories, till April 15 in the wake of the growing coronavirus scare.

It has been decided that all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment and project visas, would remain suspended till April 15 amid growing coronavirus cases in India.

The Sports Ministry also followed suit by making it clear that all sporting events should be cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. If it is unavoidable, it should be held behind closed doors so as to avoid mass gatherings.