Tokyo Olympics organizers are increasingly concerned about disruptions the fast-spreading virus in China is causing for games' preparations.
“I am seriously worried that the spread of the infectious disease could throw cold water on the momentum toward the games,” Chief Executive Officer Toshiro Muto said. “I hope that it will be stamped out as soon as possible.”
“I truly hope that the infectious disease will die down somehow so that we will be able to operate the Paralympics and Olympics smoothly,” said Saburo Kawabuchi, the mayor of the Athletes Village where 11,000 Olympians will stay.
The Olympics open in just under six months.Tokyo organizers have said there are no plans to cancel the Olympics. That position has been repeated by the Swiss-based International Olympic Committee.
The modern Olympics have only been cancelled during wartime. They faced boycotts in 1980 and 1984.
Deaths from the virus in China increased to 490 Wednesday. There have been no deaths in Japan.