Hockey Canada has clarified its ticket policy for the IIHF women's world hockey championships in Nova Scotia, which were canceled on Saturday due to the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Initial reports indicated that Hockey Canada would not provide refunds for tickets, but rather carry over the purchased tickets to the 2021 women's world championship tournament, which will take place in Nova Scotia.

But Hockey Canada sent an email to ticket buyers on Saturday saying that it "recognized the commitment of our loyal fans to the 2020 event and will be honoring all ticket purchases for the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship in Halifax and Truro, N.S. Anyone with questions, concerns or conflicts regarding purchased tickets are encouraged to contact [Hockey Canada]," and the organization would reach out to them by March 16.

"If someone can't commit to 2021, we completely understand and will not keep their money," Spencer Sharkey, communications coordinator for Hockey Canada, told ESPN on Monday. "We also just want purchasers to understand that if they reach out and can't commit to 2021, but decide to repurchase tickets next year, the seat(s) they selected for this year's event might not be available."

Sharkey said the tournament is working with ticket buyers on a "case-by-case basis," rather than having a blanket refund policy. "We are by no means forcing people to commit to 2021, but have communicated with ticket purchasers and provided contact information to get a better understanding of people's situations," said Sharkey.

The tournament was scheduled to take place from March 31 to April 10 in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia. The IIHF has already canceled six other tournaments following an emergency meeting of the IIHF Council last week in Hungary, but the women's world championship was the highest-tiered event to get canceled.

"It is with great regret that we must take this action," IIHF president René Fasel said in a statement Saturday about the women's tournament. "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."

Coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, is a new strain of coronavirus that has surged around the globe in recent months. The coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory diseases. Flu is caused by a different virus. There is no vaccine for coronavirus, though researchers are working on one and hope to begin testing soon.

Coronavirus has affected hockey events in several countries. The Swiss National League played the end of its regular season in empty arenas, and postponed its postseason until March 15 because of a government ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people.

The NHL said recently that it is studying contingency plans. "We're aware of and focused on all possibilities," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, with the Stanley Cup playoffs one month away. "But at this point it would be premature to pick any one of the possibilities, especially because it may or may not become necessary in North America."