A number of countries in Latin America on Thursday canceled or postponed public events to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The Mexican government postponed its annual international tourist fair, Tianguis Turistico, which was originally scheduled for March 22-25, until September.

While less than 15 cases have been reported in Mexico, Mauricio Vila, the governor of southeast Yucatan state and organizer of the event, said on Twitter that "the health of all Yucatecans is my main priority."

In Argentina where a total of 21 cases have been reported with one death, a number of sports events, including football matches, will be held without spectators, the sports ministry said on Thursday.

Colombian President Ivan Duque has declared a nationwide health emergency, banning any activities of more than 500 people, and as a result, this year's International Book Fair of Bogota has been postponed until a later date.

In Chile, which has reported 33 cases, the international music festival Lollapalooza slated for March 27-29 has been suspended and will be rescheduled.

"Our maximum priority is to preserve the health and safety of the public, artists and work teams, and to comply with preventive measures," Lotus Producciones, the company to host the event, said in a statement.

Brazil has reported 77 cases, including 42 detected in the populous southeast state of Sao Paulo.

The Brazilian government has asked Congress for 10 billion reals (2.1 billion U.S. dollars) to combat the virus, Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said.

Officials has been braced for the possible impact of the epidemic on sectors that depend on tourism, such as hotels, restaurants and services, Guedes added. Enditem