MONTREAL (REUTERS) - The world figure skating championships, scheduled to be held in Montreal from March 16-22, have been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak, the Quebec government said on Wednesday (March 11).

The decision to cancel the world championships comes a day after the International Skating Union announced strict requirements for attending the event, including monitoring temperatures of skaters, coaches and officials.

It also marks the second major sporting event affected in Canada in recent days because of the coronavirus. The women's world ice hockey championship, which was set to begin on March 31 in eastern Canada, was cancelled last Saturday.

Canada has a total of 102 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday, with Quebec having a total of eight cases.

The flu-like virus, which originated in China late last year, was characterised as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation earlier on Wednesday.