World Bowls and Bowls Australia agreed to the delay of the event, which was set to take place on the Gold Coast from May 26 to June 7 and involve 36 competing nations from around the world.

"Further to the risk of public exposure, many nations have also implemented strict measures on local and international travel, including Australia, where travellers from overseas are currently being made to self-isolate for at least 14 days," a joint statement reads.

"The intention remains to stage the event at an appropriate time in the future, however, given the current climate around the uncertainty related to the virus, WB (World Bowls) and BA (Bowls Australia) are unable to provide an official confirmation of rescheduled dates at this stage."

World Bowls chief executive Gary Smith stated the decision was made with the health and safety of the public, players, staff, officials and volunteers as the primary concern.

"Given the uncertainty we face as a global community, we have made the unfortunate, but necessary action related to the 2020 World Bowls Championships," he said.

"This situation is not unique to bowls, with many other sports and competitions around the world taking similar cautionary measures.

"We believe this is the right decision to minimise the risk of public exposure to the coronavirus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared a global pandemic."

Bowls Australia chief executive Neil Dalrymple said both parties would continue to monitor the situation and liaise with competing countries as to the future staging of the event.

"We have been monitoring the coronavirus situation closely for several months, with advice taken from the relevant stakeholders and Government agencies," he added.

"The decision was not made without careful consideration and we firmly believe it has been made in line with the best interests of the public, players, staff, officials and volunteers.

"We are fully aware that athletes, officials and others may have made travel arrangements for this event, but our overriding concern is the health and safety of all involved in the event."

The latest WHO figures list 173,000 coronavirus infections globally and 7,000 deaths.

Australia-wide, the number of confirmed cases exceeds 400.