Norway has decided to halt a NATO military exercise in its Arctic region in response to the coronavirus outbreak, reports Reuters.

Around 14,000 troops from 10 countries were gathered for NATO’s Cold Response drill near the Atlantic alliance’s northernmost border with Russia.

The maneuvers, scheduled to last from March 2-18, had been set to begin their most intensive battlefield phase on March 12, the Norwegian military said.

“We wish to preserve our ability to operate effectively,” Lieutenant General Rune Jakobsen told a news conference as he announced the premature end to the drill.

A total of 277 cases of coronavirus have so far been identified in Norway.