The national coronavirus disaster means the end of all approved events in Cape Town, the city council said on Tuesday.

JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said permits for events that had ready been approved would be withdrawn, and no new permit applications would be accepted or processed.

Events already cancelled in Cape Town include the Two Oceans Marathon on April 11 and the Wholesun Bread Cape Town Big Walk on Sunday. The Cape Town International Jazz Festival has been postponed.

"A few other event organisers will make announcements in the coming days," said Smith, adding that the city council believed limiting mass gatherings was "the best course of action to prevent the spread of the coronavirus".

The cancellation of event permits also means the city council would not provide any of its services, such as traffic officers, for any events.

"We understand this may be cause an economic inconvenience to many event organisers. However, we take the threat of Covid-19 seriously and we have to prioritise the health and safety of participants, spectators and officials working in the events space," Smith said.

"We urge all event organisers to adhere to [President Cyril Ramaphosa's] decree, which especially relates to large gatherings of more than 100 people."