Coronavirus shutdown: UFC London set to be affected as UK prepares to announce ban on public gatherings

After being criticized for its relaxed approach to tackling the coronavirus outbreak, the UK government is set to announce a ban on public gatherings in a move that will impact the nation's biggest sporting events.

The government, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will ban mass gatherings from next week as part of their ongoing plan to minimize the impact of coronavirus.

Despite other European countries introducing stringent measures, Johnson has opted not to follow suit – a move that has led to mass criticism of his approach.

But that approach looks set to change, with a government source revealing that the U.K. is set to issue a ban on mass gatherings from next week.

"Ministers are working with the chief scientific adviser and chief medical officer on our plan to stop various types of public events, including mass gatherings, beginning next week," the source told Reuters.

Among the first events to be affected could be UFC London, which is set to take place at London's O2 Arena on March 21. Currently, the UFC plans to run the event as scheduled, but a ban on public gatherings may force the event to be held behind closed doors, or potentially even postponed.

On Friday, England's Premier League suspended all matches until April 4, while a host of other events, including the world-famous London Marathon, were either canceled or postponed until a later date.

The Marathon, which sees more than 750,000 spectators line the streets of England's capital to watch the 42,000 runners tackle the 26-mile course around some of London's most famous landmarks, is now set to be held on Sunday, October 4.