RIO DE JANEIRO, June 6 -- Football in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state has been authorized to restart following its coronavirus shutdown.

In a decree published on Saturday, Rio governor Wilson Witzel said the decision was effective immediately, forming part of broader measures to reopen the local economy.

All major sports competitions have been suspended in Brazil since mid-March, in line with World Health Organization recommendations to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The decree said the Rio de Janeiro Football Federation would determine a date for the resumption of competition in consultation with clubs. Local media reported that the first matches could be played by the end of June.

Games will be staged behind closed doors and under strict biosafety protocols, according to the decree.

Brazil has 659,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, more than 35,000 of which have been fatal. In Rio de Janeiro, there have been 63,000 cases and over 6,000 deaths.

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