Coronavirus: Tokyo 2020 Olympics Could be Postponed until the End of the Year

The highly anticipated 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo could possibly be postponed due to the coronavirus infection spreading across Japan, according to the country’s Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto.

In a response to a question in Japan’s parliament, Hashimoto said that Japan’s contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) says the games must be held in 2020, but “could be interpreted as allowing a postponement” if the coronavirus outbreak is not contained or under control by July.

“We are doing all we can to ensure that the Games go ahead as planned,” Hashimoto said in a BBC report. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics is slated to begin July 24 and end Aug. 9.

The coronavirus, which originated in China, has spread to more than 60 countries and claimed more than 3,000 lives so far.