The postponed Women's Ice Hockey World Championship will be held in Calgary

(Reuters) – The women's ice hockey world championship, which was postponed earlier this year due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Halifax, has been rescheduled for Aug. 20-31 and moved to Calgary, Canada, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) said on Wednesday.

As the teams prepare to arrive in Canada for the May 6-16 tournament, the Nova Scotia provincial government has decided that the 10-nation competition cannot go ahead due to safety concerns related to COVID-19.

“Despite the unfortunate cancellation of the IIHF Women's World Championship in April, Hockey Canada's priority has been to host the event this year and we are committed to bringing a world-class event to Canada,” said Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer. A Hockey Canada official said in a statement.

“There has been a great deal of work and collaboration with Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services to ensure the event is safe and secure.”

As Canada emerges from its third wave of the virus, Hockey Canada said teams arriving in Calgary will be quarantined immediately before practices and possible pre-tournament games.

This will be Canada's eighth time hosting the championship. Last year's championships were canceled due to the pandemic.

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Claire Fallon)