IOC says it’s committed to Tokyo Games amid coronavirus concerns

Berlin – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is committed to the Tokyo Olympics going ahead on schedule this summer in spite of fears around the outbreak of the coronavirus, its president, Thomas Bach, says.

“Bach told Japanese media in a conference call that the IOC is fully committed to a successful Olympic Games in Tokyo starting July 24,’’ the Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday.

Bach, when asked on possible alternatives to holding the Olympics as scheduled, said: “I’ll not add fuel to the flames of speculation.’’

Japanese authorities reported an eighth death from Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, and over a dozen infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to over 900.

Some 705 came from the cruise ship Diamond Princess.

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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, however, ordered all primary, junior-high and high schools to close from Monday to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.(dpa/NAN)