BEIJING -- China's central bank announced Tuesday it would postpone the second round of orders for commemorative coins for the Year of the Rat amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Previously scheduled from Feb 21 to 24, this round will be delayed until further notice to prevent the gathering of people and curb the spread of the virus, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said.

The PBOC has issued a series of commemorative coins for the Year of the Rat, with each set containing 10 gold and seven silver coins.

The Year of the Rat is the first zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle. It started on Jan 25, 2020 and will last until Feb 11, 2021.