Japan official says Olympics must be held next year "at any cost"

The Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee had taken an unprecedented decision in March to postpone the Games, originally scheduled to begin in July, until 2021 because of the virus.

Japan’s Olympic Minister, Seiko Hashimoto said that the rearranged Tokyo Games must be held “at any cost” in 2021.

Hashimoto said the Games should be held for the benefit of the athletes, regardless of the challenges posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

She said, “Everyone involved with the Games is working together to prepare and the athletes are also making considerable efforts towards next year,”

“I think we have to hold the Games ‘at any cost’,” she added. “I want to concentrate all our efforts on measures against the coronavirus.” she added.

Officials from the Japanese government, the local Tokyo government and the Olympics organizing committee met for the first time last week to develop steps to counter the coronavirus at the Games.

Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said that the organizers were preparing to host the Games next year even if the global coronavirus pandemic hadn’t eased substantially.

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Organizers are looking at over 200 proposals on how to deal with the virus, including easing travel restrictions for foreign athletes, anti-virus measures at the Athletes’ village and how to handle spectators.

-PTC News