Coronavirus holds no threat to Tokyo Olympics: WHO tell IOC

TIL Desk Sports/ The World Health Organization has told the International Olympic Committee there is no case for cancelling or relocating the Tokyo 2020 Olympics over the coronavirus outbreak, the head of the IOC’s Coordination Commission said on Friday. The 17-day event is due to start on July 24. Japan said separately on Friday it would step up testing and containment after reporting its first coronavirus death and confirming new cases, including a doctor and a taxi driver.

John Coates said advice the IOC had received “externally” from the WHO is that “there is no case for any contingency plans of cancelling the Games or moving the Games.” The spreading outbreak, whose epicentre is the Chinese city of Wuhan, has prompted the cancellation of some international sporting events, as well as 2020 Games qualifying competitions for boxing and badminton that were due to take place in China.

Coates said coordination between the Japan organising committee’s virus task force and other national authorities reinforced the IOC’s confidence that the situation is being properly addressed. That raised expectations that “we will be able to ensure that the Games go ahead in a way that’s safe for the athletes and spectators,” Coates told a news conference hosted together with Tokyo 2020 Olympics president Yoshiro Mori.