The Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau announced on Saturday, the first day of the Chinese New Year, that it has cancelled marriage registration service on Feb 2 due to the spreading novel coronavirus.

File photo: VCG

Feb 2, 2020, written as 20200202 on the Chinese calendar, is a special auspicious date as Chinese people believe that good things come in pairs. In response to citizens' appeals to allow people to get marriage certificates on Feb 2, which is a Sunday, the Shanghai City Bureau of Civil Affairs decided earlier in January to offer the registration service for lovebirds in all 17 marriage registration offices.

To guarantee the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus and protect the health of new couples, the bureau decided to cancel the Feb 2 service.

For those who already made appointments on Feb 2, the bureau said they can make a new appointment on other dates. Authorities also suggest couples do not gather for registration in the near future, considering health and safety issues.

"With love in the heart, every day is a good day," according to the announcement.

Shanghai announced on Saturday that 13 novel coronavirus cases were confirmed on the previous day, taking the total confirmed cases in the city to 33. Altogether 72 suspected patients are under medical observation in the city.