ELEVENTH HOUR

Tokyo 2020 Chief Admits: We Might Still Need to Cancel the Games

So far, 71 people accredited for the Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19.

It’s only three days until the Tokyo Olympic Games are supposed to get underway—but one top official has said it might still be necessary to cancel them entirely. The head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, Toshiro Muto, refused to rule out a last-minute cancellation at a Tuesday press conference. Asked if the Games could still be canceled if the coronavirus situation spirals out of control, Muto said: “We can’t predict what will happen with the number of coronavirus cases. So we will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases... We have agreed that based on the coronavirus situation, we will convene five-party talks again. At this point, the coronavirus cases may rise or fall, so we will think about what we should do when the situation arises.” So far, 71 people accredited for the Tokyo Games have tested positive for COVID-19.