The Grand National, Great Britain's most famous race, will not be run on April 4.

Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns Aintree Racecourse where the Grand National is held, announced on Monday evening local time that the three-day racing festival from April 2-4, in conjunction with the famous race, has been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. There are no plans for the event to be rescheduled.

The decision comes four days after Cheltenham completed its popular four-day National Hunt Festival which drew a crowd of 251,684 from last Tuesday through Friday.

In a statement released Monday, Jockey Club Racecourses said the British government's directive to avoid social contact and stop non-essential travel led to the decision. In addition, the government indicated that emergency service personnel are being withdrawn om Tuesday from supporting mass gatherings.

Jockey Club Racecourses, which also owns Cheltenham and several other racecourses in the country, had considered holding the event behind closed doors. "The latest government information on the measures needed to contain the virus have led (Jockey Club Racecourses) to believe this is no longer a viable consideration," Monday's statement said.

This will be the first year the Grand National has not been held since 1945, the final year of World War II. In 1993, the race was voided because of a false start. In 1997, the race was postponed two days because of a bomb scare.

Monday's announcement was made on the same day that France announced a cessation of racing until April 15. Beginning Tuesday through at least the end of the month, the public will not be allowed to attend races in Great Britain, similar to existing conditions at racetracks in the United States, Ireland and Hong Kong.