World tennis No.2 Simona Halep announced Sunday that she will not compete in the Palermo WTA event, a tournament which marks the season's resumption after a five-month coronavirus suspension.

The Romanian's decision came after Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Friday people who have been in Romania and Bulgaria in the past 14 days will be quarantined upon arrival in Italy, a move aimed at preventing the importation of COVID-19 cases.

"We found out with great bitterness the decision of the world No.2 to cancel her participation," the tournament's director Oliviero Palma said in a statement.

"Given the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Romania and my anxieties around international air travel at this time, I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Palermo," 28-year-old Halep said on Twitter.

Halep, the reigning Wimbledon champion and 2018 French Open winner, has committed to playing in the Prague Open, scheduled to start on August 10. 

The clay-court Palermo tournament will have strict health precautions and all players will undergo COVID-19 tests before they travel, on arrival and every four days subsequently.  

(With input from agencies)