Japan still intends to host the Olympics on time, but Xi Jinpings' state visit has been delayed

The Japanese Minister for the Olympics announced on Thursday that the Summer Games would take place as scheduled from July, even though the coronavirus epidemic has spread to new parts of the country.

Minister Seiko Hashimoto made the comments the same day as Japan reported its largest day-long increase in new cases of coronavirus. NHK broadcaster reported confirmed cases rose to 1,036 nationwide on Thursday morning, 36 more than the previous day.

And while plans for the Games were unchanged, a state visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping was delayed following a decision by Tokyo and Beijing.

The Olympics minister sparked controversy earlier this week when he said the contract with the International Olympic Committee could be interpreted as authorizing a postponement of the Games to the 2020 calendar.

Since the IOC never mentioned the cancellation or postponement of the Tokyo Games at its meeting yesterday, I do not expect a notice of cancellation or anything like that, Hashimoto said in parliament.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said in a statement that the metropolitan government is working closely with the IOC and organizers to ensure the delivery of safe and secure games.

Thursday, the day after the first case was announced in southern Miyazaki Prefecture, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, reported its first coronavirus infection.

The national broadcaster NHK has also reported new coronavirus infections in Kyoto, Sapporo and Niigata.

Cabinet chief secretary Yoshihide Suga said Japan and China would organize a better time for Xi's visit, as they agreed to prioritize the fight against the coronavirus. The delay in Xis' visit, originally scheduled for early April, will not affect Sino-Chinese relations, he said at a press conference.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing that the two countries will maintain close communication about the timing of Xis' visit, without giving further details.

Japan plans to impose two-week quarantines on Chinese and South Korean visitors, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

RIPPLE EFFECTS

Twelve people died from the disease in Japan, according to the Ministry of Health.

The rapid spread of the virus has raised the question of whether Tokyo can host the Olympics as scheduled from July 24, the effects being felt by other sporting events.

On Wednesday, the Japanese Rugby Football Union announced that next month, Asia Sevens Invitational, which doubles as a test event for rugby sevens at the Tokyo Olympics, has been canceled due to concerns about the ; coronavirus epidemic.

The Tokyo Marathon was held this month without the participation of non-elite runners and with fewer volunteers and spectators.

Hashimoto told the upper house on Thursday that the final decision to hold the Games as planned rests with the IOC.

The cancellation or delay of the Games would be unacceptable to the athletes, said Hashimoto. An environment in which athletes can feel comfortable and concentrate must be firmly prepared.

Under the contract with the host city, the IOC has the right to terminate the contract if it has reasonable grounds to believe that the security of the Games would be seriously threatened.

And organizers have made arrangements to cancel Tokyo 2020 in the event of a massive earthquake or other natural disaster, the Japanese newspaper Mainichi reported.

But IOC chief Thomas Bach on Wednesday expressed confidence in the staging of the Games, saying the organizers were receiving information from experts from the World Health Organization and others and that the words postponement and cancellation were not mentioned at the meeting of the IOC Executive Board.

Some residents of Tokyo have thought differently.

I think the Olympics should be canceled in this case because it is a dangerous situation, 77-year-old Yufumi Tamaki told Reuters on Thursday. I apologize for the athletes and those who prepared for the Games, but it is more important to save lives.