The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating event in Yokohama has been cancelled ©Getty Images

The Yokohama leg of this year's Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Skating Union (ISU) said it had been informed by Japanese organisers that the event, scheduled for September 16 to 19, would not take place due to the coronavirus crisis.

It means the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating season is now set to comprise five competitions.

The decision to cancel the event comes amid a recent spike in coronavirus cases in Tokyo, around 30 kilometres from Yokohama.

Japan has reported more than 19,000 COVID-19 infections and at least 970 deaths.

"The ISU working group in charge of monitoring the figure skating season planning is currently evaluating the consequences of this cancellation on the conduct of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series," the ISU said in a statement.

"Any Council follow-up action based on such evaluation will be published as soon as possible."

Five events are due to take place as part of this year's Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit ©Getty Images
Five events are due to take place as part of this year's Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit ©Getty Images

Confirmation of the cancellation of the Yokohama event marks the latest disruption to the junior series, set to open in Budapest on September 9.

The opening two events on the circuit, in Richmond in Canada and Košice in Slovakia, were also cancelled as a result of the pandemic.

The ISU Council announced a revised calendar for the 2020 Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating last month.

Following the planned curtain-raiser in Budapest, further events are planned in Ostrava, Tashkent and Ljubljana before the finale in Riga, added to the calendar by the ISU in June.