The Seattle Sounders' March 21 home match against FC Dallas has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak in Washington, the club has announced.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday announced a ban on gatherings and events of more than 250 people in virtually the entire Seattle metro area to try to stop the spread of the virus.

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The ban includes sporting events and concerts.

"As the developments surrounding COVID-19 in our region evolve, Seattle Sounders FC has been working in real time with regional health authorities and government officials to do our part in combating this public health crisis," the defending MLS champs said in a statement.

"Our organization must remain flexible in these efforts, and at this time, that includes heeding Governor Inslee's call to postpone our home match on March 21 versus FC Dallas at CenturyLink Field.

"Throughout this process, Sounders FC has stated that nothing is more important than public safety and the well-being of our fans. With that in mind, we respect the difficult decision that has been made today, and our club will continue following the guidelines set forth by our public health authorities and government agencies.

"We will maintain our consistent dialogue with elected leadership, public health officials and Major League Soccer, and as more information becomes available, the club will continue to provide public updates. This includes details about rescheduling the FC Dallas match for a later date."

Seattle general manager Garth Lagerwey said the decision was made with the area's overall safety in mind.

"This is not about the Sounders. This is about the community and what is in everybody's best interests. I think certainly as a company, we need to shoulder our responsibilities for our part of it," Lagerway, who added that this weekend's match at the Houston Dynamo will go on as scheduled, said.

"The guys are not sharing towels, they're not sharing water bottles. Everyone has their own individual hand sanitizer so we are taking measures to try to enforce these individual protections as much as possible. Certainly no one on the team, to my knowledge has requested any kind of testing, and no one has been sick. So that's been a positive for us."

In a related move, the Sounders also announced that its reserve team, USL Championship side the Tacoma Defiance, would play Wednesday's match against San Diego Loyal behind closed doors.

"With San Diego Loyal's squad already in town to play the contest, we have been in touch with the United Soccer League, regional government agencies and health authorities about the best path forward," the Sounders said in a separate statement. "Because Cheney Stadium will be closed to the public, it has been deemed safe to proceed with Tacoma Defiance's second match of the season."

The statement added that the Defiance's home match on Sunday, March 22 versus Oklahoma City is set to be rescheduled.

It wasn't immediately clear how long the order to suspend gatherings in the Seattle area would last, or whether it would eventually extend to other parts of the state.

At least 24 people in Washington have died from the coronavirus, most of them in the Seattle metro area.

World soccer has been greatly affected by the spread of the coronavirus. Italy has postponed all sporting events -- including Serie A matches -- until April 3 as part of a nationwide lockdown, while leagues across the globe have also cancelled matches and imposed stadium bans.

Coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, is a new strain of coronavirus that has surged around the globe in recent months. The coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory diseases. Flu is caused by a different virus. There is no vaccine for coronavirus, though researchers are working on one and hope to begin testing soon. Older people, especially those with chronic illnesses such as heart or lung disease, are most at risk.

The coronavirus spreads mainly through coughs and sneezes, though it also can be transferred from surfaces. The best way to prevent infection is by frequent hand-washing, cleaning surfaces with regular household sprays and wipes, and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

ESPN FC U.S. correspondent Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.