OTTAWA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 2020 Skate Canada International Grand Prix, which is scheduled for Oct. 30 and 31 in Ottawa, has been canceled due to sharply increased COVID-19 cases in the country, Skate Canada said on Thursday.

The event was scheduled to happen with no spectators in attendance, but after consulting with the city of Ottawa and the Ontario provincial government, Skate Canada said it made its decision to cancel.

Canada's daily case counts continued to rise, with an average of 2,323 new cases being reported daily in the most recent seven days, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced on Thursday.

It said the concern for the health and safety of the athletes, coaches, volunteers and officials also played a role in the decision.

"This year is unlike any year before and we've seen significant challenges on the operation of competitive events due to the global pandemic. As a result of the continuous shift in requirements across the country and the recent 28-day shutdown in Ontario's hot spots, which includes Ottawa, it became clear that it would not be possible to host this event," Debra Armstrong, chief executive officer of Skate Canada, said in a statement

The Ontario government imposed stricter measures for 28 days starting on Oct. 10 in three regions; Toronto, Peel and Ottawa in order to slow the spread of the virus.

Skate Canada International is one of six Grand Prix events that are a part of the figure skating season.