05 February2020
Tokyo Olympics chief says coronavirus could disrupt Games!
Toshiro Muto ‘seriously worried’ about spread of virus with 170 days to go
Tokyo 2020 Olympic organisers fear that the coronavirus outbreak may begin to dampen enthusiasm for the Games as the 24 July date of the opening ceremonies approaches. The Tokyo 2020 chief executive officer Toshiro Muto said he was seriously worried that the spread of the virus could affect momentum in the buildup to the Olympics.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic organisers fear that the coronavirus outbreak may begin to dampen enthusiasm for the Games as the 24 July date of the opening ceremonies approaches. The Tokyo 2020 chief executive officer Toshiro Muto said he was seriously worried that the spread of the virus could affect momentum in the buildup to the Olympics.
There have been no deaths from the virus in Japan, but it has the largest number of infections – 33 – outside China. On Wednesday, 10 passengers onboard a luxury cruise liner off the Japanese port of Yokohama tested positive for the illness, forcing health authorities to place all 3,700 passengers and crew in quarantine for 14 days.
Craig Spence, a spokesman for the Paralympic committee, said: “We have full confidence that the relevant authorities, in particular here in Japan and the World Health Organization, will take all the necessary measures to address the situation.”
Demand for the 7.8m Olympics tickets is high, with applications exceeding supply by at least 10 times. About 4.5m tickets have been distributed domestically via a lottery.
