The decision to cancel the Championships, which were scheduled to take place between March 16 and 22 at Centre Bell in Montreal was taken by the Government of Quebec.

In a statement the International Skating Union (ISU) said: "The ISU and Skate Canada have closely monitored the provincial and federal health authorities’ position on the spread of the virus and fully respect the difficult decision made today.

"Like the authorities, the ISU and Skate Canada are committed to the health and safety of the athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and spectators.

"The ISU therefore is unable to hold the World Figure Skating Championships on the planned dates. 

"We thank Skate Canada and all the partners involved in the preparation of the event for their cooperation during the critical monitoring phase leading up to this decision."

The organisers have ruled out rescheduling the Championships during the current season, and say they will now assess whether it could be held later in the year.

They have confirmed that any rescheduling would not before October 2020.

The ISU added: "The ISU regrets that the most important figure skating event of the season cannot be held as planned but the ISU also understands that the safety and wellbeing of all participants and the community take precedence and is sure that ISU members, skaters and fans will understand this decision."