The Ice Hockey Women's World Championship has been canceled due to fears of the coronavirus possibly spreading further.

"It is with great regret that we must take this action," IIHF president René Fasel said in a statement Saturday. "It was not an easy decision to make, as we were greatly looking forward to hosting this tournament in Canada. Nevertheless, the decision has been made due to safety concerns for the well-being of players, officials, and spectators."

The tournament, slated for March 31 to April 10 in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia, is the seventh tourney canceled by the organization since a meeting it held last week.

"Ultimately the IIHF Council feels that there has not been enough of an improvement to the coronavirus situation to allow us to safely host a 10-team international tournament within this timeframe," Fasel said. "We look forward to coming to Canada in 2021."

April's U18 championship in Michigan and May's men's world championship in Switzerland are still on for now, though that could change depending on what happens with the coronavirus.

The Ice Hockey Women's World Championship was also canceled in 2003 due to the SARS outbreak.