Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledges the Olympics will go ahead as planned despite other high-profile sporting events falling victim to coronavirus pandemic
- Abe said the Tokyo Olympics would go ahead as scheduled in July this year
- Donald Trump suggested yesterday that they should be postponed by a year
- Japan has so far reported more than 700 coronavirus cases and 21 deaths
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged that the Olympics will go ahead as scheduled despite the coronavirus outbreak.
Abe promised the Tokyo Games would begin in July, as planned, even as other sporting events were delayed or cancelled.
He also said that Japan would not declare a state of emergency due to the outbreak. The country has reported more than 700 cases so far and 21 deaths.
Donald Trump suggested two days ago that the Olympics should be postponed by a year as the virus continued to trash the sporting calendar.
Shinzo Abe, pictured today, said the Olympics would still go ahead as planned in July
There have been calls for the Games to be postponed over the coronavirus outbreak
Japan has so far reported more than 700 cases of coronavirus and 21 deaths
His comments come two days after US President Donald Trump suggested the Japanese capital postpone the Games for a year as the spread of the virus wreaks havoc on the sporting calendar.
‘We will respond by closely coordinating with officials concerned, including the IOC (International Olympic Committee). There is no change in this,’ he said.
‘We want to hold the Olympics as planned without any trouble by overcoming the spread of infections.’
Organisers, Japanese government officials and the IOC have insisted preparations are on track and there will be no postponement or cancellation.
England’s football Premier League, America’s NBA basketball season and the Augusta Masters golf major are just some of the competitions swept aside by the pandemic.
Abe said that preparations for the Olympics are still on schedule despite the disruption
The olympic park in Tokyo is pictured above. The Olympics start in four months time
Japanese people wear facemasks at a shopping centre in Osaka today
On Friday Abe and Trump spoke on the phone about the outbreak and 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 they had not discussed any postponement.
The Japanese parliament approved legislation on Friday that gives Abe the power to declare a state of emergency to combat COVID-19. He has insisted, however, that such a declaration is not yet necessary.
A state of emergency would allow local governments to require that people stay indoors, schools close and public facilities limit use.
Land and buildings could be requisitioned for makeshift hospitals.
IOC chief Thomas Bach told German television broadcaster ARD on Thursday that the body would follow recommendations by the World Health Organization but that work continued for a successful Games.
He acknowledged however that cancellations of Olympic qualifiers are starting to pose ‘serious problems’.