Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday resisted pressure for changes to the Tokyo Olympics schedule even as sporting events worldwide fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abe pledged that Japan would host the Games as planned in July and said he had no immediate intention to declare a state of emergency over the virus outbreak, which has now seen more than 150,000 people infected across the globe and more than 5,400 killed.
His comments come two days after US President Donald Trump suggested that Japan postpone the Games for a year as the spread of the virus wreaks havoc on the sporting calendar.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“We will respond by closely coordinating with officials concerned, including the IOC [International Olympic Committee]. There is no change in this,” Abe told a news conference. “We want to hold the Olympics as planned without any trouble by overcoming the spread of infections.”
Organizers, Japanese government officials and the IOC have insisted that preparations are on track and there will be no postponement or cancelation.
On Friday Abe and Trump spoke on the phone about the outbreak and the Olympics after Trump proposed a delay.
“We agreed that Japan and the US will cooperate and closely coordinate for success in the Olympics,” Abe said, adding that they had not discussed any postponement.
The Japanese parliament on Friday approved legislation that gives Abe the power to declare a state of emergency to combat COVID-19, but Abe said such a declaration was not yet necessary.
The coronavirus has infected more than 700 people across Japan and been linked to 21 deaths.
IOC president Thomas Bach on Thursday told German television broadcaster ARD that the body would follow recommendations by the WHO, but that work continued for a successful Games.
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