Coronavirus: Japan not considering postponing 2020 Olympics – Official

Japan is not making any preparations to postpone the 2020 Olympics, the government’s top spokesman said in Tokyo.
The statement underlined Tokyo’s resolve to host the event as scheduled, in spite of the global spread of coronavirus.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government would continue with preparations to hold the July 24 to August 9 Games as scheduled, working closely with organisations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“We’re not making any adjustments to postpone the Games,” Mr Suga told parliament when asked by a lawmaker whether the government was making plans to cancel or postpone the event.
His comments come amid mounting concerns about whether the Games can proceed as planned.
The rapidly spreading virus has sent panic into the financial markets and brought business and social activity around the world to a standstill.
Many sports events have been cancelled or postponed.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday that Group of Seven leaders had agreed to support a “complete” Olympics.
But he dodged questions about whether any of the leaders had brought up the possibility of postponement.
The IOC has remained committed to staging the Tokyo Games as planned, saying on Tuesday after a meeting with international sports federations that measures against the virus were delivering results.
The new coronavirus has so far killed more than 8,200 people and infected over 200,000 worldwide.
A plane sporting Tokyo 2020 livery left Japan to collect the Olympic flame from Athens without a high-level delegation onboard, reflecting the disruption the virus is causing to preparations for the Games.