TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan stood firm on Friday on its commitment to host the Tokyo Olympics this year and denied reports of a possible cancellation but the pledge looks unlikely to ease public concern about holding the event during a global pandemic.
The Times reported on Friday that Japan's government had privately concluded the already-delayed Tokyo Olympics would be canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
TOKYO - Japan's government has privately concluded the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus, The Times reported on Friday (Jan 22), citing an unnamed senior member of the ruling coalition. The government's focus is now on securing the games for Tokyo in the next available year, 2032, the newspaper said. Japan has been hit less.
The Times reported on Friday that Japan's government had privately concluded the already-delayed Tokyo Olympics would be canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A visitor taking photos of the Olympic rings outside the Olympic Museum in Tokyo.
Photo: AFP
Though much of Japan is under a state of emergency due to a third wave of Covid-19 infections, Tokyo organisers have consistently vowed to press ahead with the Games scheduled to open on 23 July after having been postponed in March last year.
A government spokesman said there was no truth to a report in
The Times that Japan was now focused on rescheduling the event to 2032. We will clearly deny the report, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Manabu Sakai said in a press conference on Friday.