Olympic Committee Is Fully Committed to Tokyo Games 2020

(Bloomberg) -- The International Olympic Committee remains “absolutely in line” with its Japanese hosts in its commitment to delivering safe Olympic Games in July, the IOC said in a statement Thursday.

Without making a direct reference to the global spread of the coronavirus, the organizing body for the games also said it will continue to follow the advice of the World Health Organization.

The Summer Olympics had been expected to draw 11,000 athletes and more than 600,000 tourists. But with the coronavirus spreading rapidly and Japan having already closed schools and canceled public events, the IOC has been reportedly assessing its options -- including a games with few, if any, spectators.

To contact the reporter on this story: Leonard Kehnscherper in Zurich at lkehnscherpe@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Katerina Petroff at kpetroff@bloomberg.net, Jan Dahinten

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